


The Fury and the Peer

by SmidvargandtheGang



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Iolanthe - Sullivan/Gilbert
Genre: 'dragon riders gang' as comic relief, 20-y-o hiccup, astrid as stoick's star ward, basically just an elaborate way to get to hiccstrid, berk when it still killed dragons, gilbert and sullivan au, hiccup and toothless change all berk's laws and shit gets cray, hiccup doesn't know stoick is his dad, idk y'all just read it, iolanthe au, operetta, snotlout and fishlegs fighting for astrid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-04-01 04:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 31,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13990374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmidvargandtheGang/pseuds/SmidvargandtheGang
Summary: After saving a dragon's life, Valka is banished from Berk. Twenty years later, her son and his dragon find their way to Berk, whose Vikings are no friends of dragons. Hiccup is captivated by Stoick's ward, Astrid. When Hiccup's secret is uncovered, "who shall say what evils may result in consequence?" Plot loosely based on operetta Iolanthe





	1. Overture

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a long time since I’ve written a fic of any kind so this should be fun. I started this over a year ago on ff.net but now I'm coming back to it and trying it out on this new hip platform. Many of this story’s plot elements will come from W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan’s operetta Iolanthe, in which magic takes a political system (in that case the British peerage) and puts it on its head. This is essentially an Iolanthe AU. The subtitle for the operetta is The Peri and the Peer. I love both this franchise and this operetta very much so this combination should prove to be a fun one. I've included the musical cues from the operetta that inspired this fic. Enjoy!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiYmol0p9kE&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=1

Overture  
The first bit of orange peeked out from behind the horizon and spilled its light into the freezing bedroom. Valka begged herself not to open her eyes and instead buried her head further into his forearm. It couldn’t be sunrise just yet.

She sighed, hoping that if she ignored the sinking feeling slowly creeping its way from her stomach into the rest of her body, it would go away. Urging herself to live in the present, she focused all her energy on savoring their last few precious moments of their time together.

The images from the previous evening played on the back of her eyelids. His beaming face in the firelight as he, on his knees, serenaded her. His hand in hers as they made their way through the processional of torches to the bridal couch. The picturesque view of intimate details of his skin as he drove her crazy…

Luckily, in the short time they had left, she could still behold these delights once more. Against the will of her pouting id, she opened her eyes a smidge and let the sunlight flood them. The sight of him was worth it. Her lips brushed against his rough, freckled skin. Savoring every touch, her lips made their way up to his forearm, onto his massive shoulder, to the underside of his neck. He stirred beneath her.

“Val,” he breathed.  
She paid him no attention as her lips made their way to chin and cheeks, teasing him now that he had woken.  
“Val,” he sighed, a touch of irritation in his tone.  
“Sh.” She instructed. He would not spoil these last moments. She couldn’t bear to think but these might very well be their last.  
“Val-” She stopped his words with a kiss. He seemed surprised at first, but as she insisted more, he returned. She savored his affection as his hand drifted to her hip, his thumb gently caressing her side...

Teasing him a bit more, she pulled her lips away. Stoick scowled. “Good morning to you too,” he said grumpily.  
Giggling, she kissed him again. Bursting with a mixture of love, appreciation, and dread, it was all she could do to let his green eyes see into her own. They stared in silence for a few moments when the words finally spilled from her lips.  
“I don’t want you to go.”

Valka felt herself turning red. The words sounded silly in retrospect. She immediately regretted them.   
He reached out his calloused hand to touch her face and echoed her thoughts which she knew were the bitter reality.  
“I don’t have a choice.” He sighed.  
Valka scowled. “It doesn’t have to be you. There’s Spitelout-”  
“Val-”  
“Gobber would be a better choice tha-”  
“Val-” He warned.

Valka got straight to the point. “Why does Alvin get to stay?”  
Stoick closed his eyes with a weary sigh. Valka knew it was too early in the morning for this discussion but she wouldn’t put it to rest until she had a better reason and if she waited, it would be too late.

“Alvin needs to see that I trust him, and I need to lead this mission.”   
As he sat up, her secret defiance flared up inside her. He did not need to lead this mission. If he stayed behind, she could make him see… 

“We both need this,” Stoick continued, “Without his trust, we’ll be defenseless. We’re powerless if we can’t defend ourselves on both fronts.”  
Her need for him to stay burned within her. “And we won’t be able to. If there’s an attack, we won’t even make it to the docks alive! Let Alvin lead the mission instead,” she said, sitting up too, “You’re the best warrior we’ve got.”

Stoick put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not a warrior anymore, Val. I’m a chief.”  
Valka scoffed. “Oh? And is this any way for the chief to behave? What was it your father used to say? ‘A chief protects his own!’”  
“Eradicating the source is the best way to protect my people!”  
She couldn’t take this any longer. “Not when you could be killed!” 

How could he not understand that this quest was a fool’s errand? The Vikings of Berk had attempted to locate the nest time and time again for centuries, heroically and dismally failing to find it. As smart and as her Stoick was, he could not do the impossible. She would not lose him.

His hand reached for hers. She pulled away at first but he pulled back, drawing it up to his heart. She found it hard to look at him when she knew she was right, but his tender gaze compelled her to sink into his remarkable green eyes.  
“I will return, my dear,” he whispered, “I promise.”

Dread, fear, and adrenaline coursing through her, she wrapped her arms around her Stoick. They held each other in silence.  
Thor watch over him, she begged, as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

 

Fire rained down from the sky and the unmistakable growl of a Monstrous Nightmare pierced the air. Vikings and dragons alike sped through the square, rushing to defend or steal.  
“Light your torches!” 

Raised beacons of fire illuminated the chaos. Valka burst through her front door, shield in hand, and immediately caught sight of Alvin. The familiar sense of unease filled her. Alvin was a man who always made his opinions known, especially if they contradicted those in positions of authority. With Stoick gone on the mission to the nest and Alvin as acting chief, something told Valka that this raid would not end well.

Determined to keep an eye on him, she ran after his small ragtag group of auxiliary warriors.  
“Alvin!” She called after him, determined to keep him in sight.  
“Valka!” called a familiar voice form behind her. She turned around to see the face of a close friend. With his good arm, he pulled her aside. “What is he doing leading the auxiliary squad?” asked Gobber.  
“I’d like to ask him the same question,” said Valka sourly.

A Nadder spine sped through the air toward Gobber’s good arm. Luckily, Valka threw her shield up at just the right moment, saving them both.  
“The docks are that way ya pathetic sissies!” He called after Alvin and his men, stumbling to his feet, “Where does he think he’s going? We can’t hold up with that lot!”  
“I know. I’ve got to try to talk some sense into him,” she said, looking determined, “We need to stick to the plan.”  
“Valka,” Gobber warned, “be careful.”

With a nod, she dashed away to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Luckily, none of their homes had burned down just yet but there was just enough light from the blasts above and around to light her way.

“Alvin!” Valka used her shield to push through the auxiliary squad as she drew closer to the acting chief.  
He glanced sideways at her as she caught up to him. “Valka, lead a group to the southeast inlet and-”  
“Alvin, you’re not following Stoick’s orders! He specifically told you to evacuate the island if there was a raid! An attack with only half of us is suicide!”

Suddenly, a blast of Gronckle fire came down from above, about to land dangerously close to Valka’s leg. Alvin’s huge arms grabbed her and pulled her out of its path. Panting, she reached for her shield. Alvin pulled her behind the nearest house, all the while incoherently shouting at her over the roars, crackling fire, and sounds of steel. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in close.

“Who’s in charge here?!” whispered Alvin through gritted teeth, “I am. You’re lucky I saved your skin! Now, go and lead a group to the southeast inlet before you can cause any more trouble.”

Stoick may have put Alvin in charge but Valka would not be spoken to in such a disrespectful way. Valka yanked her arm from his grasp. All the better to evade his foul breath.   
“As the chief’s wife, I command you to do what I ask!”

Not a moment later was his axe at her throat. “And as a Viking with an axe at your throat, I command you to do what I ask.”  
Valka had had enough of him. She was not going to let this foolish excuse for a warrior destroy them all. She reached out to wrestle the axe from his grip but she knew he was stronger. He pinned her to the ground. A blast from a Deadly Nadder lit his gruesome, power-hungry expression.

Suddenly, huge claws ripped Valka from Alvin’s clutches and carried her off the ground and into the air. Alvin’s massive body became a speck in seconds as she ascended. She let out a surprised shriek as she looked up at the massive beast that had her in its clutches.

From the light of the fires below, she could make out the shades of brown and maroon that coated its hide. Its wingspan was larger than any she’d ever seen. She gasped thinking her eyes deceived her. Were those two sets of wings? Possibly sensing her wonder, the creature’s head spun around one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Its yellow eyes stared back at her as it let out a roar that sounded a bit like a yawn.

Valka’s heart raced as she searched for the best course of action. Most Vikings would hack at this beast until it dropped dead, but if she tried that approach it would most likely drop her. Looking down at the flaming village below her, she decided to do everything in her power to stay in the air for as long as possible.

The dragon circled above the brawls in the square as if surveying the damage. Valka watched it closely, holding her breath. The longer she stayed in its claws, the more its   
splendor became known to her. Those definitely were two sets of wings…  
As badly as Valka wanted to convince Alvin to call off the raid and save the people of Berk, she figured that in this moment, staying above would do her more good than harm. She recalled how strange it was to be in the clutches of a creature that had slaughtered her ancestors and friends and yet feel a sense of safety.

As the four-winged dragon started its third lap above the village, Valka’s brain whirled. She was its prey, despite her ironic feeling of safety. And if she were its next meal,   
she would have to think like bait. In all her years of hunting and fishing, how had she seen bait avoid its predators? Her first thought seemed easy enough to execute: play dead.

She fell limp in its claws. As she felt herself beginning to slip out, she immediately regretted the decision, awaiting her certain fall to the fires below. But the dragon’s grip tightened. It stopped its circular flight pattern and instead put its four wings to work as it sped in the opposite direction of the fiery raid.

Rapidly formulating Plan B, she watched as the village grew further and further away as they approached the island’s southeast inlet. They descended more rapidly than she had expected. She felt as if her stomach were leading the way.

The four-winged dragon gently dropped her from its claws as she rolled onto the green. Crawling onto all fours, she did her best to make out her surroundings. Behind her, the edge of a cliff. Before her, this enormous beast, eyes as big as her head, sniffed her like a piece of meat. She nearly fell backward, but righted herself in time.

On second thought, realizing that up close, she could not identify this dragon, and that the beach and water below were the lesser of two evils, she made the leap of faith. As she   
fell for a moment, a plan came to mind: she would swim to the docks, sail for Stoick and the others, tell him what happened, make Alvin pay…

Just as she was about to hit the hard rocky shore, the beast dove from the cliff, swooped beneath her, and caught her. Valka lay spread-eagled across its back. She dared not move. This thing seemed intent on having her…

The dragon flew back up the ledge to the inlet, Valka in its talons. Upon landing, she slid rather ungracefully off its back. Its head rotated once more. She struggled to get onto all fours and it advanced towards her.

This is it, she thought grimly, this is how it ends.

The four-winged dragon approached her slowly, trying not to scare its prey. Unable to move, she lay there, vulnerable on the ground, staring up at it. Now overtop of her, it lowered its head, bringing its yellow owl-like eyes inches from her own. She dared not move. But the dragon didn’t either.

They merely stared at each other. Valka examined the depth of its eyes. Why hadn’t it finished her off? She felt it searching her eyes too, maybe wondering why she hadn’t done the same. Then she realized that he had saved her life.

She looked deeper into his eyes. It cocked his head, possibly mirroring her. Valka had suspected that dragons were smarter than Vikings wanted to admit but this proved it. This dragon had saved her life. Twice! Once from Alvin and then again from the fall.

She saw her own eyes reflected in his gaze and had to smile. He was so beautiful! The dragon’s eyes softened and he opened his wide jaw in something resembling a smile. She laughed and hesitantly reached out to feel his scaly face but an axe whizzed between them.

The dragon reared up in fear. Valka leapt to her feet and saw Alvin running to fetch his axe.  
“That’ll teach you, you filthy lizard!” He cried.

The four-winged dragon roared as he spread his two sets of wings, the left ones shielding Valka from harm. She heard the clang of metal, footsteps, and deep voices coming towards them. Peeking out from behind the wings, she saw the auxiliary squad assemble behind Alvin as he moved in for the kill. Alvin hurled his axe at the dragon’s exposed chest.

In a split-second, Valka darted out from beneath the dragon’s wings and caught the axe midair.  
“Stand aside, Valka!” Alvin demanded.  
“No! I won’t let you do this!” Valka begged. Her fingernails dug into the handle. “He saved my life!”

The crowd of warriors gasped but Alvin seemed unfazed.   
“Traitor! These creatures are monsters!”  
“If he wanted to kill me, I would already be dead by now! Don’t do this!”  
Alvin advanced toward her. In her own opinion, Valka rather thought she was more afraid of him than of the dragon. “I’ll do what I please,” he growled dangerously, “Hand me my axe.”  
Valka stood firm. “No.”  
“Hand me the axe!”  
“No!”

Alvin wrestled the axe from her grip. In that same moment, the four-winged dragon leapt into the air and let out a huge breath of fire like a warning to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Spitelout hurled a mace at the dragon’s belly.  
“Look out!” Valka cried, in case the magnificent dragon hadn’t seen it.

Upon hearing her cry, he dodged the weapon and bared his teeth.  
“Traitor!” Alvin roared over the dragon’s fury.  
“Traitor?” The word sounded ridiculous. “You’re the one who disobeyed Stoick’s orders! You could have taken us South to the Isle of Hopeless! But instead, you put our people in danger! And what for? All to exert your power?”

This seemed to have struck Alvin harder than her first blow. The fire in the sky reflected in his eyes. “Valka, as acting chief, I hereby banish you from the tribe and from the island of Berk!”

The four-winged dragon roared and shot a blast of his fire at Alvin. The dragon picked up Valka in his claws and took to the skies, leaving Alvin and her home behind.  
“What? No!” Valka cried, “Take me back! Take me back!!”

This could not be her future. Would it end here? 

As they soared north over unknown waters, her adrenaline had subsided. Worry flooded her. Banished? How would she raise their child?


	2. Act I: Scene I

Act I Sc I  
It had been twenty years. Stoick would never forget the day he lost two friends. Alvin he could do without but Valka could never be replaced. After all, it had been so soon after their wedding.

He warmed his hands by the fireplace as Astrid sharpened her axe at the foot of the steps. Stoick was proud of the girl. He’d taken her in thirteen years ago after her parents had died in that terrible attack. Ever since, she’d trained hard to avenge their deaths by becoming the most skilled warrior on Berk. She’d passed dragon training with flying colors.   
Recently, she’d been training so much he hardly saw her. She would leave at first light, maybe return for a meal, and come back long after nightfall. Over the years he’d told her time and time again how unsafe and foolish she’d been but secretly found some relief when a raid would come and she would be far from the dangers.

Not that she couldn’t defend herself. She was more than capable. But Stoick had to protect his own. He treated Astrid as if she were his own daughter. She almost was. There had been some talk among the village. Since Astrid was almost of age, she would soon be chief. 

Had he discussed this with her? Not particularly. They got on well but that might have been because their conversations weren’t usually ones of much substance. They usually recounted tales of gutting dragons or tactics and strategy. But she’d been ready for quite some time, even if she herself wouldn’t believe it.

Stoick heard the familiar clink of Astrid’s armour as she rose quickly. She seemed to be full of energy. He suspected she would head upstairs to bed. It was late after all. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”  
Astrid seemed taken aback. Stoick hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. But this time of year he always grew more cautious and angry, if truth be told. He’d never admitted it to anyone, not even Gobber, but Valka’s betrayal had hurt him just as much as the loss.

The warrior folded her arms across her chest. “Training.” She said simply.  
Stoick raised an eyebrow. “At this time of night?” He asked.  
“Less of a likelihood of people like Snotlout interrupting me. A precaution to reduce casualties.”

“Very funny, Astrid,” Stoick said scowling, although he admired her humor, for Snotlout was at his door just about every other day with another one of his futile attempts at wooing Astrid.  
“There hasn’t been a raid in months.” Astrid pointed out, crossing to him.  
“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down.” Stoick advised.  
Much to Stoick’s surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. 

“Don’t worry. I won’t,” said Astrid, beaming.  
Stoick had known her all her life. Even before he took her in, she’d never been known to be-- affectionate. He said the exact words that came to mind, “What in Thor’s name was that about? Why are you so happy?”

Astrid smiled slyly. “There hasn’t been a raid in months. Isn’t that as good a reason as any?” She dashed out the door.

Stoick sighed, hoping she’d be careful. So far he felt he’d done a decent job as a guardian. He’d protected her. She was the most important thing in the world to him. But now that she was almost old enough to lead the people of Berk, he knew he’d have to let go. Like every chief, she’d have to get married. He paused. Was this about some boy? Was that why she was so eager to sneak off in the night?

He laughed to himself. What was he thinking? She wouldn’t take any of the boys on this island if they were the last two in this Archipelago. Certainly not Snotlout. He irritated Astrid in a way no one else could. Not Fishlegs Ingerman. Stoick laughed out loud at the memory of Fishlegs’ attempt to woo her with patter poetry of dragon statistics. And certainly not Tuffnut Thorston. All he was interested in was trouble. And Gustav Larson wasn’t nearly old enough. His scraggly excuse for a beard didn’t impress anyone, especially not Astrid. A funny image came to mind of a line of Viking suitors lined all the way down the front steps of the chief’s house, only to be punched by Astrid, one by one until they’d all fallen…

A knock at the door drove Stoick from his reverie. The first thought that crept into his head was If you’re Snotlout, the answer will always be no. He laughed to himself as he shuffled to the door and opened it. A silly smile must have been on his face: Gobber gave him a funny look.

“What’re yeh smilin about?” He asked.  
Maybe there wasn’t much on this island to smile about.  
“Astrid,” Stoick admitted as he welcomed Gobber in, “She was uncharacteristically happy tonight. Said she went out for training.”  
Gobber snorted. “Training? At this time of the night? Well… she is the… age for it.” He winked.  
“Nah,” Stoick said, taking a seat at the table, “I’ve already ruled out all the eligible bachelors on the island. So, what can I do for you?” He noticed Gobber’s left prosthesis this evening was his mug. “I would offer you a drink but it looks like you’ve already got one.”

Gobber took a swig from his arm flagon. “Yep. I’m celebrating.”   
“What for?” Stoick asked. He made a mental note that there definitely was very little on this island to smile about.  
“No dragons! For months! Tonight marks the third consecutive dragon-free month since… well, since you became chief. But it seems we’ve got more pressing matters at our hands.”  
“What could be more pressing than dragon attacks?” Stoick asked, fearing the worst. Alvin’s amassed an army of banished Vikings strong enough to take on Berk? That Dagur boy became Berserker chief and wants to call off the peace treaty? Drago Bludvist returned with his armoured dragons? The mere thought brought him chills.

Gobber absentmindedly fiddled with his rock tooth. “There have been rumors of a man wandering around the forests at night.”  
Stoick waved this away. “Probably just the Thorston twins up to their old tricks. Thor help us…”  
“No, I don’t think so, Stoick. They’re not smart enough to pull something like this off. It’s a man like somethin’ they’ve never seen before. I’ve got reports from Spitelout, Hoark, Bucket and Mulch, even Astrid. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.”

Stoick’s heart dropped. If this man was an enemy spy, Astrid’s midnight training sessions would put her in grave danger. “What else do you know?” Stoick asked, determined to keep her safe.

“From what I heard, he’s been showing up just about every night since the raids stopped. Some think he’s scared them away.”  
“How could one man scare off thousands of dragons?” Stoick scoffed, “We’ve certainly tried for years.”  
“Bucket said he was ten feet tall with only one leg and a nasty disposition,” Gobber laughed.  
The chief glared at the blacksmith. “I’m sure I would have noticed if a ten-foot one-legged brute was plodding through our woods.”  
“Are you sure? How often do you venture outside the village?” Gobber asked.  
“Have you heard anything sensible from those who’ve got a look at him?” Stoick asked.  
“Nothing of the kind. They all sound like legends for the book to me. But I’m more concerned that none of those who’ve sighted him have seen him arrive or leave. Every time he’s been seen it’s like he vanished without a trace.”  
“Well where has he been spotted?” Stoick asked. He imagined Spitelout rushing to the docks, only to find the same number of ships there were before. He wasn’t a fast runner. The further away the spot in the woods, the less likely this monster brute would be caught.  
“By the secret cove off Raven Point.”  
Stoick was dumbfounded. Secret cove? Showed how much of his time was devoted to chiefing. “Every time?” He asked.  
“Every time,” Gobber agreed.

Despite the hard work of the day, Stoick’s brain set to work right away. “Then we’ll just have to find him before he tries to leave. If he has scared the dragons off, then we need answers from him; who he is, what he’s doing here, and how he kept those monsters at bay.”

Gobber groaned. “Why do I feel like we’re going on a little Stoick-Gobber recon mission?”  
If Astrid was in danger, Stoick had no time for idle chat. He rose to his feet. “Gobber, you stake out at the watchtower by the docks. I’ll stake out at the west side to see if I can spot his ship from there.”  
Gobber sighed as he rose to his feet a little more slowly. “Alrighty, then. Here we go.”

=============================================================================================================  
Stoick’s eyes fluttered open. He scolded himself for dozing off and hurriedly glanced at the shoreline. Once again, there was no sign of any boat. He sighed, wondering if this was just another one of Gobber’s legends, like the Boneknapper or the Screaming Death, although he had turned out to be right about that one...   
As Stoick stared off into the empty horizon, he wondered what silly name Gobber would assign his one-legged ten-foot man. Sleepily, Stoick wondered how big a man of ten feet would be. Or should he say, ten foot. And a big foot that must be.

Every time Stoick stared off into the unknown over the years, his thoughts always drifted to Valka. Surely, despite all his failed attempts to find her, she was out there still. He always imagined her the way she looked on their wedding night. The firelight in her eyes and full of laughter as they danced to their favorite… He hoped she was still dancing but the thought of her dancing alone on some Thorforsaken island weighed heavily on his heart. He began to imagine this island and its temperatures as warm as that summer when it never snowed…

“Stoick!” came a stage-whisper from behind him.  
“AGHHHH!” He jumped nearly a foot in the air. Luckily it was only Gobber. What was he doing on the West side of the island?! They had a plan! They’d never catch Bigfoot this way. “Gobber?! Wha—how—but—you…” Stoick blustered, “What are you doing on the west side of the island?!”  
“Sunrise should be coming soon, Stoick,” said Gobber, “I think we missed him.”

Half-flustered because he had been caught off-guard, half-worried for Astrid’s safety, Stoick paced with fury. “That’s impossible! A man can’t just vanish into thin air.”  
Gobber had a solemn look on his face. “Unless he’s not a man at all…” He asked.

Stoick paused. Did Gobber have more information that he didn’t? His eyes must have given him away, as Gobber continued.

“This is proof of what I’ve been tellin yeh all these years, Stoick! The Lycanwing—”  
“UGH, enough!” cried Stoick as he reached for Gobber’s arm flagon, hoping for the dregs only to find that it had been run dry.


	3. Act I: Sc II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg1swpWBlGc&index=7&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4

Toothless let out a huffy sigh and shook his head. Hiccup scratched the dragon in his sweet spot.

“I know, bud,” he sighed, “but I promise once we get back home we’ll get you some extra mackerel. How does that sound?”

The dragon shook his head again and waddled off to the far side of the cove.   
“Guess I’ll have to do better than that,” Hiccup sighed as he slid through the crack between the rocks and made his way down to the mossy floor of the cove. 

The trek used to be difficult but the more he made the descent, the easier it became. As he landed on the mossy green, he made his way to the small lake in its center and splashed around a bit to signal to Toothless that he was safe. He would splash again when it was safe for Toothless to return to him.

Guilt gnawed at his insides. He knew Toothless couldn’t fly on his own so there wasn’t much for him to do. He hated to do this to his friend, to send him away. But he knew that if Toothless showed himself, he’d certainly be killed. She never went anywhere without her axe! He recalled a time a few weeks ago when she showed him her axe-throwing skills but mainly he remembered some of her other skills… Gods, she was beautiful…

The coo of a Terrible Terror brought Hiccup back to his senses. He looked down at his feet to see the bug-eyed pocket-sized green dragon circling them. The Terror seemed very interested in Hiccup’s metal leg as he stopped to sniff and bite it but pulled back when there was no satisfaction of taste.

 

Hiccup chuckled. He reached into his pocket for his supply of dragon nip. He was running low but it wouldn’t take much for this little guy to calm down. A pinch would do, as his mother always said.  
“Hey there, little guy,” Hiccup knelt down, placing all his weight on his left leg. The Terror puffed out his chest, offended. “Sorry, sorry,” Hiccup corrected himself, “big guy.” He offered him the dragon nip. “D’you want some of –” He hadn’t even finished when the Terror had gobbled it up and was rolling peacefully on the cove floor instantly. Hiccup laughed. 

Checking his surroundings, he scratched the little dragon behind the ear. Once the dragon had regained his senses, Hiccup offered his arm. After careful inspection of the arm, the Terror climbed on and perched, content in his security with his new friend. Like a falconer, Hiccup raised his arm and set the dragon free to fly.

“Go on. Fly north. You’ll be safe there.”  
He tracked the Terror’s flight path until he was safe in the cover of the trees, then past the view of the naked eye.

What a strange island, Hiccup thought, full of so many hostile dragons. Probably because the stubborn Vikings that live on it won’t let them be. I wonder if she’s made the connection…

Hiccup laid back and made himself comfortable on the rocks as he thought back on how he came to be on this island tonight.

After an argument with his mother three months ago, he and Toothless had taken to the skies and flew further south than ever before. Under the cover of night, they reached Berk, unaware of the tribe’s relationship with dragons. They were flying overhead during a particularly nasty attack. A Nadder’s fire fried Toothless’ fabric tail fin.  
When Toothless lost control, they separated on the way down, Toothless landing in the cove and Hiccup landing on the ledge above it, dangerously close to a beautiful Viking maiden, who unfortunately for him, was practicing her axe-throwing.

After some interrogations, some careful alterations of the truth on Hiccup’s part (given their vastly differing views on dragons), and some persuasive lyrics, the two developed an interest in each other. They had been visiting each other almost nightly ever since.

After Hiccup had managed to get Toothless airborne, they encountered a pack of rather nasty dragons, all carrying the property of Vikings through the mists to an island in the west. With Toothless’ stealth and Hiccup’s wit, they discovered the source of the hostility: slavery to an enormous queen of a sort of dragon hive. All in a night’s work, the boy and the Night Fury eradicated the source, freed the dragons from the evil queen, and freed the people of Berk from dragons. The island was at peace.

The more Hiccup came to this cove, the more special it became in his heart. Every one of its details filled his heart with warmth in this cold isle. The sound of the waterfall, the nooks and crannies of the caves, the way the moonlight reflected off the pool.

Guilt tugged at his insides once again. He knew Toothless was itching to splash around in that pool and burst through the waterfall… He hated to keep Toothless a secret, but maybe in the next few days, he would confess his secret and introduce her to his best friend. But before he tackled that challenge, he had some unfinished business to attend to.

“Well, well, well.”

At the sound of the familiar voice, Hiccup sat straight up. She stood at the ground-level entrance to the cove, hands on her hips, looking impressive, with a wry smile. He rushed towards her. In that moment, he knew nothing else but his need for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

She threw her head back with a laugh. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Hiccup kissed her with all the intensity and fervor he contained. She returned playfully, her tongue matching his intentions. His hands began to explore her back and made their way up into her hair as he untied her braid. Her hands had made their way up the back of his tunic, her nails digging into his bare skin, making him shiver with delight. She must have felt this shiver, for she broke away with a little laugh. There was a sort of sparkle in her eye.

“Good evening, m’lady.”  
“Evening?” She scoffed, “Psh, it’s practically morning.”  
“Well I’m terribly sorry I flew all this way to see you after a hard day’s work. Can’t neglect my duties after all,” Hiccup teased. He reached for her hand. She took it and they made their routine stroll around the lake. “You could’ve been here earlier, too, y’know.”  
“Me? Oh, well I supposed so. I made the mistake of telling Stoick I was going out this evening.”

He glanced sideways at her. “What did he think of that? Sneaking off into the woods to meet a dangerous foreign man with only one leg--”

She laughed at his impersonation of this fantastical version of himself. “You? Dangerous?”  
“Gods, I don’t know! For all he knows I could be.”

She gave him a little shove. “I didn’t mention you at all, silly! I told him I was training.”  
“At this time of night?” Hiccup asked surprised.  
“I was the time we met,” she said with a squeeze of his hand.

He stopped and turned to face her. Her presence alone was worth the flight. Never in his life had he known someone he could talk to. He had Toothless but that was different. This was a different kind of special. Astrid was his intellectual equal. A leader. A fighter. And to top it all off she had the most beautiful face he’d ever seen.

“Astrid,” he said, savoring the way it felt to say her name aloud.  
She put her hands on the collar of his tunic and pressed her chest against his. “Hiccup,” Astrid sighed. Her lips brushed his neck, her teeth pulling at his sensitive skin. Gods, as she made her way up to his ear… He grabbed her breast, rotating it as she let out a small sigh of pleasure.

In the midst of delirium, he whispered, “Oh, Astrid, you have no idea how important you are to me.”

Their lips met again and again with scarce room for air, her tongue playfully darting its way in and out of his mouth. He managed to lock his teeth on her tongue and she on his. Gods, she was his equal indeed.

A rush of bliss filled him. As they kissed, his mind connected the dots. This moment was just as special as the moment when he knew that he and Toothless belonged together. Their connection was undeniable. Certainly his connection to Astrid, but was her connection to him as strong?

Slowly he pulled away, first lips, then hands, then body.  
“What is it, Hiccup?” Astrid asked.  
He found it hard to put into words. His feelings for her. His doubt of the strength of reciprocity. His need to strengthen that bond. He grew warm.  
“Well I—uh—have you—uh—ever felt this way about anyone else?”

Her response was a solid punch to the arm.  
“What!? W-w-why? What was that for?!” He asked, perplexed.  
“For doubting me, gods, Hiccup! Of course I haven’t felt this way about anyone else. You haven’t met the other muttonheads!”  
“Okay, okay,” he raised his hands in an attempt to soothe her. If he’d known she would have reacted this way, he would have come up with something a little better to say. “They’re muttonheads. I believe you. And I never meant to doubt you, Astrid. All I was trying to say is--that—” Hiccup grew warmer, “—I haven’t felt this way about anyone else either.”

He watched her expression of distaste melt away into one of soft tenderness. It was a rare sight to see, a Viking woman dressed in her armour, wearing a soft, loving expression but looking as powerful as ever. He figured this was a good sign. He wouldn’t second guess his words. He’d stick with the ones that came to mind.

“You’re really special to me, Astrid,” he continued, “Right now the only thing I know is that I want to be with you.”

A gentler punch came this time as she drew closer towards him. “Well we’ve been seeing each other for three months. I think you’d know by now that I care.” She joked.

Hiccup put his hand on hers. “No, I mean something more concrete, something closer…” A crazy idea entered his mind. Astrid looked wary of the expression on his face. To see that face more than in the nights. To see that face in the daylight… “We should get married!”

Astrid considered this as if he had suggested they go to the beach. “Hmm. A nice idea,” she said simply. Full of joy, Hiccup brought his lips to hers but was stopped by a finger. “…if you can convince Stoick.”  
“Stoick?” Hiccup asked, pulling away, “What does he have to do with it?”  
“He’s my guardian, Hiccup. You’d be marrying his ward. He’d have to approve any of my suitors! Surely in your tribe you have something similar.”

One of his alterations of the truth. Would she have taken him if she’d known he was a feral vigilante dragon rider? Probably not. In truth, living in the freezing mountains with his mother, Toothless, Cloudjumper, the Bewilderbeast, and the dragons under its care, he had absolutely no concept of the stratifications of Viking society or customs of domesticity. But her concept did sound similar to the behavior of dragon parents after their child takes on a new mate.

Oh gods, Hiccup imagined a fifty foot Viking with a beard as big as a wild tuna circling him, sniffing and snarling as he bared his axe and his teeth.

“Yeah, sure, something similar…” But if he could talk to Astrid, woo her even, and if tonight went well, seduce her, then he could certainly convince her guardian. “Then I’ll have to convince him.”  
“Convince Stoick?” Astrid sounded dubious.  
“Yeah!” Hiccup was anything but. “I’m a diplomat. I do this sort of stuff all the time.” In truth, he did. He gained many followers after his presentations of his insightful ideas. Granted, all of these followers were dragons… “I’ll stay the night and ask him in the morning.”  
“Woah woah, Hiccup, slow down,” Astrid cautioned, “what’s your plan?”  
“Plan?”  
“Yes. Your strategy. Stoick is a traditional Viking warrior chief. I don’t think he’d take kindly to some one-legged stranger who waltzed into his house, demanded to marry his ward, and laughed in the face of the consequences.”

Hiccup’s face fell. “But surely he’ll understand the connection between us?” He took her hand. “Can’t you make him see how deeply we feel?”  
“It’s not a question of feeling, Hiccup. It’s a question of safety. He’s a warrior, Hiccup. To be fair, you could lose your other leg,” Astrid said.   
She did have a point. If Stoick was truly as fearsome as her stories said, he would definitely need to go to the house armed.  
“There’s been some talk in the village. Stoick had no children and so a lot of people think I’m next in line to become chief,” Astrid continued, “If I were chief, we wouldn’t need Stoick’s approval. I could do as I saw fit. The chief usually comes to power around age twenty-one. And I’ll be twenty-one in a year—”

Hiccup scowled. “A year?!” He said incredulously.  
“Don’t you think we could wait a year?” She asked.  
“Wait an entire year? Astrid, if you become chief, men from across your archipelago will be crawling across the seas for your hand. No, we can’t wait. It’s too dangerous to wait.” 

Hiccup drew closer to her, his hand on her waist, his thumb stroking her side. “I don’t want to put you in danger, Astrid.”  
“Very funny, Hiccup.” He could tell she was feigning the sarcasm when a smile played across her lips.  
“No, not funny. I’m serious.”  
“Hah!” she laughed, “You? Serious?”  
“Watch.” His lips met hers which initially protested but soon after, returned his kisses in a hot rush. He deftly slid her armour off her shoulders. Astrid’s hands had already drifted up the back of Hiccup’s tunic. He ripped it off himself. His left hand wandered up her shirt, playing with her bindings.

Between kisses as they paused for air, Astrid scolded, “Quit—messing—around. You said—you were—serious.”  
“I am serious,” he whispered as he nuzzled his nose into her neck and playfully nipped at her ear.  
“You still think you can convince him?” She asked, stopping all fun and games as she waited for him to meet her gaze.  
“Of course. Please, let me do this?” Hiccup pleaded, “He could say yes.”  
Astrid huffed. “Well, I suppose—”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank youuu!” He threw his arms around her but lost his balance. The fall took Astrid down with him. She helped him to his feet where they had a proper embrace. Her hand worked her way across his back down to his leggings.  
“What do you say we go for a little midnight swim?” She asked as she playfully pushed him to the pool’s edge.

As soon as his foot hit the water, he immediately bounced back out. “Ah—just—no, no—uh—heheh—metal leg, remember?”   
The signal... He couldn’t give away Toothless just yet. He’d have to win her guardian over first. Besides, he and Astrid had only gotten started.  
“Right, sorry,” she avoided his gaze, looking embarrassed. She looked gorgeous in the moonlight.

He pulled her in close, his left hand making its familiar route up her shirt to fiddle with her bindings. “We could dooooo… something else…?”  
A smile playing across her lips, Astrid undid them herself and slid her hands down Hiccup’s bare back.  
“Why whatever would that be?”


	4. Act I: Sc III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6b041JF4d4&index=14&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4

It almost looked comical perched on the hill, towering over every other house in the village. He was sure that this was Stoick’s house with the structure on the roof that looked eerily like a wood-carved severed dragon head. Hiccup shivered.

He made his way up the long set of steps as the sun peeked out from behind the tall, teetering rock formation that made the island recognizable from above. He hoped Stoick was awake. Were Vikings awake at this time of day? Hiccup wasn’t sure. Astrid was always awake when he came to visit at night. 

Ohhh no, that means Stoick won’t be up. And that means I’d be waking him up and that means he won’t be happy and we would not be off to a good start, oh gods, I should have come up with a better plan!

Heart racing, he knew he needed to cool down. He slowed his pace and did his best to consider the daunting situation before him rationally. Before and after he had met Toothless, the skills he’d learned from Valka had made him into “an excellent leader” as she often said. His intelligence and patience had served him well in his diplomatic dealings. He liked to think of himself as an ambassador to dragons. He, Toothless, and the dragons led a group of thousands!

Of dragons, he reminded himself, Not people…

He was already at Stoick’s door. Hiccup reminded himself to stay positive. Stoick was the man who had taken Astrid in after her parents were killed in that attack. Thoughts of her sly smile gave Hiccup the confidence to push open to door and cross the threshold.

Hiccup stood in the doorway not really sure what to do. This was the first time he’d ever been in a house before. It was a lot darker than he’d imagined it would be. Light came only from the fireplace. It was a shame these people didn’t get along with dragons because their houses seemed to have enough room for one. Hiccup could imagine Toothless jumping from beam to beam in the rafters…

“Hello?” called a deep voice from within. A massive man with an impressive beard descended the stairs. This must have been Stoick. When he saw that there was indeed a stranger in his house, he reached for the nearest axe hung on the wall. “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” Stoick whispered dangerously.

Hiccup gulped. He had expected roaring and blustering but this was much more intimidating. If Hiccup had the choice between a herd of Changewings or Stoick the Vast, he would choose the Changewings.

“Hello. Uh—are you Stoick? Well--uh—my name is Hiccup,” He could already feel himself turning red.  
Stoick snorted. “Hiccup? Learn to knock, will you?”

Hiccup wondered if that was slang for a type of sparring. Was this a joke about his size? Maybe both? Now that this man was at the foot of the steps, he towered over Hiccup. If Stoick hadn’t intended to make him feel small before, he certainly was now. Doing his best not to allow the Viking chief to succeed in this endeavor, Hiccup continued his spiel, sticking to the few details he’d altered in his story to Astrid.

“I’m from the North—”  
“Oh? Are you from Freezing to Death?” Stoick asked.  
“Ehm, no. But where I come from, I’m known as a sort of apprentice to the uh—” Hiccup struggled to find the right word for his mother’s title in the dragon world without revealing their opinions of dragons as Stoick looked him up and down.  
“—to the blacksmith?” Stoick asked, gesturing to Hiccup’s metal leg.

Valka had taught him all the skills he needed to make the iron mechanics in Toothless’ tail and his own prosthetic leg, so for the sake of argument, Hiccup could agree to that. “Sort of, I suppose.”  
“If you’re further north than Freezing, what are you doing this far south?” Stoick asked, taking a seat. 

Hiccup tried to conceal his relief. Until that moment he hadn’t realized how much real-life Stoick lived up to his dragon world expectations with the snarling and the cold stare. It was an enormous improvement to be relatively at eye-level.

“Well, funny you should ask,” said Hiccup with much more confidence, “the thing is I didn’t mean to come here. A few months ago I was—sailing south to build a new map and I came across this lovely place. I crashed--wrecked near the woods on the far side of the island. I befriended one of your villagers. Her name is Astrid.”

Stoick’s grip on his axe tightened and shot daggers with his eyes.

Hiccup changed his tactic to self-preservation and sped through the last bit of his story. “So anyway, we’ve become pretty close and she told me you’re her guardian. And when I asked her to marry me—”   
“What?!” roared Stoick, jumping to his feet and advancing towards Hiccup.  
“But! But, but she insisted that I tell you first. So, nice to meet you, but I really should be going—”  
“Oh no, boy, you’re not going anywhere.”

Hiccup backed away. “Now I—I—I know this may not be very— traditional—”  
“Traditional?” Stoick roared, “Ugh!” The chief paced about the room. He threw down the axe which eased some of the tension. “Gobber was right. I should have known. It all makes sense. You must be Bigfoot,” Stoick muttered under his breath. He collected himself. His eyes softened.  
“Alright, young man,” he continued skeptically, “what excuse do you have? How would it be beneficial for my ward to marry you, someone who shows up out of the blue, just when she’s about to become chief?”  
“So she is about to be chief?” Hiccup asked.

Stoick’s eyes narrowed and the icy stare returned. “Wouldn’t you like to—”  
“No reason!” Hiccup held up his hands as if in surrender with a nervous laugh, “She just mentioned that that might be a possibility!”

Stoick sighed. “Listen, I’m the chief of the tribe,” he paused, “what did you say your name was?”  
“Uh, Hiccup, sir,” Hiccup said. Strange. People didn’t usually forget his name.  
“Here’s the thing, Hic-cup,” Stoick continued, collapsing, “I’m the chief of this tribe. Astrid might have told me you need my permission, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For argument’s sake, say that I did agree to such a union—”

Hiccup’s heart leapt. 

Stoick continued, “As husband to the chief, you’d have to be prepared to lead the people. Can you name any qualifications you’d have for such a task?”

Hiccup’s time had come. “Well, funny you should ask.” He stood a little taller. “Where I come from, I’m known as a revolutionary. A leader. I’m known for my innovative ideas and thousands of dra—people have followed my lead. I’ve settled disputes and saved lives. But these people are not mere subjects; I am proud to call them my friends. And I assure you that if I married your Astrid, the future chief of Berk, I assure you that I would—”

Stoick seemed as if he could hold in his amusement no longer. He roared with laughter. “A leader? Oh gods! Your subjects as your friends? Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, you’re a blacksmith!”

Hiccup’s heart sank. “Right,” he remembered that as the cover for his lack of a proper Viking profession, “That… uhm, Sir…if I may—”  
“Hiccup”, Stoick cut him off, returning to his senses, “you are not fit to lead these people.”  
“No, you’re right,” Hiccup admitted, “I’m having a hard enough time trying to convince you, to be frank. But leading the people, that wouldn’t be me, Stoick. That would be Astrid’s job.”

Stoick sighed. “Has Astrid told you that I was married?”  
“No, she didn’t.”

The Viking chief turned away and diverted his gaze to the fire. “Well, I was…for a brief time…until I lost her… Even before we were married, she was my counsel. She was support for the chief and therefore support for the people. She was as much the chief as I was, Hiccup… and I should have let her be.”

Hiccup figured a way he could direct the conversation back to his qualifications to marry Astrid. “You loved her, didn’t you?”  
“Aye,” Stoick whispered solemnly. His tone changed. “Don’t try to tell me you know what love is, boy.”   
Hiccup mentally cursed. 

“Exactly how long have you and Astrid been seeing each other?” Stoick asked, towering over him once more.  
“Uhm…about uh…a few months…”

Stoick laughed much more heartily this time. Hot anger welled inside Hiccup. Who did this man think he was? Hiccup knew very well that he was unqualified to lead the people of this village but he was nothing if not intelligent. He hadn’t come there to ask to be chief! This was about Astrid! He merely wanted permission! He would not be treated like the runt of the litter! He bubbled over and cried out in frustration.

“Can you not see how important she is to me?” Hiccup burst, “You may not think a few months is a long time but I can assure you that I love this girl! I love Astrid! And this has nothing to do with leading a tribe or status or anything like that, no. It’s –it’s –it’s a special bond we have. It’s like a connection I’ve never felt before. Sir, this is about the depth of our feelings for each other. How can—how can you apply the simple matters of state to a matter that’s strictly of the heart?”  
“Ah, my boy,” Stoick interrupted, “but it’s not a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of state. When you discuss one, you should not discuss the other. Never during my time as chief have I ever mixed the two, which I may say has helped me greatly.”  
“But it shouldn’t be about that—” Hiccup protested.  
“Enough,” Stoick held up a hand, “even if you’d lived on this island your entire life, I still wouldn’t have said yes. I admit I have to admire your stubbornness. And your bravery. But you don’t qualify to be a Viking leader. You don’t what it takes, Hic-cup.”

Hiccup burned to tell him just how qualified he was. “But I know what it is to—”  
“That’s enough,” said Stoick calmly.  
“—Sir, you have no idea what I can—”  
“Enough!” Stoick boomed.

Hiccup sighed, dejected. Stoick put a hand on his shoulder. It was nearly twice its size. It made Hiccup feel small, worthless even.  
“Look, Hiccup, you probably have a big heart but that won’t be enough for the people of this village. I’m sorry. Now if you’ll excuse me,” said Stoick, patting him on the shoulder with enough force to knock him to the ground, “Duty calls.” Stoick crossed to the door as if seeing him out. It seemed Hiccup’s time was up here.

The boy slumped his way out the door. With a sigh and a groan, he murmured under his breath, “What am I gonna tell Astrid?”  
Stoick stopped him. “Oh, one more thing—you’re not to see my ward ever again.” He slammed the door in Hiccup’s face.

Dejected and all hope lost, Hiccup shuffled back to Raven Point. He figured he’d best find Toothless and fly back to the mountain.


	5. Act I: Sc IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnaDBVmlg6U&index=8&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6j9u4ZPWuQ&index=10&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uZyJd26m5A&index=12&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPK_rKeRlec&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=13
> 
> Some of this poetry was taken directly from W.S. Gilbert during this scene’s parallel in Iolanthe. The “fight fight fight kiss fight” is a joke taken directly from a good friend of mine.

Astrid awoke much colder than she had expected. Without Hiccup’s body heat, their hideaway’s cave was much colder than she remembered. She frowned. He must have left to speak to Stoick without waking her. 

“Curses,” she muttered.

She wished he had woken her with a good morning kiss… or several. Thoughts of their previous night together made her sigh delightedly. Gods, she was unbelievably lucky to have been blessed with a man who was more than her intellectual equal; he was also a godssent lover…

She stretched her limbs and felt a tickle on her right hand. It was a scrap of paper. It had some writing on it. She rolled over onto her stomach to look at the writing and held it to the morning light streaming in. Once she got a better look, she scoffed at the ridiculously neat penmanship. Despite the previous night’s escapades and spending the night on a hard cave floor, Astrid felt much lighter.

Milady,  
Gone to speak with Stoick. Meet me after dark. We’ll talk then.   
I have a surprise I think you’re going to like.  
Yours,  
Hiccup

She pocketed the note in her bindings, as good a temporary storage place as any, and rose to her feet. She knew Hiccup’s words alone wouldn’t be enough to convince Stoick. She would need to present her case as well. Astrid had lived with Stoick for years and if anyone knew how to reach him, she did. With strategy on her mind and Hiccup’s words on her heart, Astrid made her way back to the village.

Before the rooftops were even in sight, she had a strong sense that Hiccup’s talk with Stoick had not went well. Her stomach sank at the sound of Viking war cries echoing through the air. Although usually enough to curdle an enemy’s blood, these cries seemed more doctored than the usual primal guttural Viking screech. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she ran the last few yards up the hill. As her roof and the square came into view, her stomach dropped. She soon realized that these were not war cries. These were mating calls.

The sight sickened her. The square was full of Viking men, some from Berk, some from other islands. Most senselessly bashed each other. Others were too absorbed admiring and comparing biceps to take part in the scuffles. The men tainting the fearsome name of the Viking war cry seemed to be turning it into some sort of contest. If Astrid was supposed to be the judge, they all tied for dead last. Although she did not know all these men by name, she knew that they were all unmarried.

Hot rage bubbled inside her. How could Stoick pull a stunt like this? And on the day that Hiccup… A horrible thought entered her mind. Was this a direct result of Hiccup’s failure to convince him?

“What in Thor’s name… what is all…this?!” Astrid blustered.  
“Oh, hey, Astrid,” came a voice from atop Astrid’s roof.

She whirled around to see the Thorston twins perched on her roof, watching the scene below with eager eyes. Tuffnut waved. Ruffnut cracked a nut on her brother’s helmet.  
“What are you two doing on my roof?!” Astrid called from the hill. Ordinarily she would have added something like an “I can’t believe this” but coming from the twins, she could believe it.  
“Ah, my fair Astrid,” said Tuffnut, just as entertained by her fury as by the festival of testosterone below, “but the better question would be ‘what aren’t we doing on your roof?’”  
“Yeah, we come up here all the time,” said Ruffnut in a matter-of-fact tone.  
“Totally not to put ‘Burn me’ signs on your roof.”

Astrid scowled. “You would probably spell it wrong.”  
“You’re right, we must have,” Tuff agreed as he scowled at the sound wood surface beneath him, “which is why your roof is still intact.”  
“Never mind that,” said Astrid, “have you seen Stoick?”  
“Uh, yeah,” said Ruff, “He’s right there.” She pointed to the stocky figure in the distance making his way up from the docks.  
“What do these men think they’re doing?” Astrid said, more to herself than to anyone else.  
“Uh, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” said Ruffnut, “Word’s gotten out that you’re about to be chief and all the eligible guys in the Archipelago are in the midst of tearing each other’s heads off until you pick one to be your husband.”  
“Please don’t pick one just yet!” Tuffnut begged, “I bet Ruffnut that Snotlout would clobber Gustav.”

More often than not, the twins spouted the stupidest ideas but, in this instance, Ruffnut was right.

Astrid began formulating her plan to sneak past the herd of men to demand Stoick to put an end to this but her loud conversation with the twins must have drawn attention to her presence. A high-pitched voice from the mob gasped, “Astrid’s here!”

Tripping over themselves, the mob clawed its way uphill towards her. 

As Hiccup had made her painfully aware, Astrid did love her strategy, on and off the battlefield. In this moment, she figured the quickest way to get Stoick to agree would be to change her strategy. This escape was about to turn into a full-frontal assault. She would let these men present their cases to her. Then, she would turn them away with the truth. She would kill their hopes of marrying her with the news of her betrothal to Hiccup and prove the measure of her love to Stoick in one fell blow.

She took a deep breath and grandly descended the hill. Almost instantly, the Viking bachelors ceased their brawls and froze. All eyes fell on her. With every step, it dawned on her that this was what Ruffnut would call her “walk of shame”. The thought filled her with triumph. Her stride became more confident. Her walk turned into something closer to a swagger. As she reached the center of the square, the Viking men crowded around her.

“Alright, gentlemen,” said Astrid slyly, slowly untying her braid. She heard a clang of metal against rock as one Viking hit the floor. She continued, trying not to laugh. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Snotlout Jorgenson made his best effort to push through the crowd but was pinned to the ground by a burly Viking from Freezing. A brawl ensued. While the others were distracted, Fishlegs Ingerman took this as his opportunity to make his case. He was holding a scrap of paper and shifting nervously. He recited its contents while Ruffnut and Tuffnut guffawed in the background.

“Of all the young warriors I know,  
You, pretty young lady are the fairest,  
Your lips have the rosiest show,  
Your eyes are the richest and rarest.  
Although you weren’t born to be chief,  
Of leadership potential I’ve plenty!  
I’ve knowledge and wit, yes it’s true,  
And—”

“—and a joke about his age, cause twenty rhymes with plenty!” Snotlout had emerged victorious from the brawl with the man from Freezing and had cut Fishlegs’ impressive verse short by knocking the poet to the ground.  
“Damn you, Snotlout!” cursed Fishlegs, his voice muffled under Snotlout’s boot.  
“Fishlegs, you’re only doing this because your parents are making you,” jeered Snotlout, “I, on the other hand, —” He advanced towards Astrid, his chest puffed out. “–can’t deny that there’s a spark between us.”

Although her strategy was to let them make their points, Astrid couldn’t resist this one jab at Snotlout. Even before she had been speculated to be chief, he had always driven her up the wall. He had walked into this joke. She had to disobey her own orders but, as commander of her own fate, it didn’t bother her one bit.

“The spark of the dragon I send to attack you?”  
“The dragon that I will dominate with my sheer force of personality and muscle!” Snotlout countered, placing a kiss on each of his biceps.  
“Urgh!” Astrid shuddered, as did several of the Viking bachelor mob. Her stomach curdled. She hoped Snotlout wouldn’t continue for much longer or he would blow her cover before Stoick arrived for the full-frontal assault.  
“Face it, baby, if you got it on with this,” he gestured to his flexed bicep and Astrid nearly threw up in her mouth, “you’d have the pleasure of being with the most beautiful, most awesome Viking in the archipelago.”

This rose more than a few eyebrows in the crowd of Viking suitors behind her. One particularly enraged Berserker let out a yowl and knocked Snotlout to the ground. Another brawl ensued and this time. As Snotlout had offended every single one of them, every Viking took part.

“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Kiss! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” called Ruffnut and Tuffnut from atop Astrid’s roof.

Glad that Snotlout had gotten what was coming to him, Astrid knelt down to his eye level.

“Anything else you have to say, Snotlout?” she asked, dying to join in hearty laughter with the twins, but smiling all the same.

Between blows to the face, he replied, “—only—that—your beautiful face—would look—even better—next to my—beautifu—”  
“Enough!” Stoick had finally arrived on scene. 

The Vikings fell silent. Astrid’s heart beat fast, ready for the attack.

“You all know why I’ve brought you here today,” he said, “As my ward Astrid is almost of age to become chief of the tribe of the Hairy Hooligans—”

The Hooligans let out a Viking war cry of pride. The others blew a loud raspberry of distaste.

“—I have brought you all before her so that she might select whichever one of you she may deem worthy to be her husband.”

Excitement filled her. This would crush the bachelors and show Stoick that he had no business attempting to pick men for her, especially those that were nowhere near the caliber of Hiccup.

“Stoick,” Astrid feigned obedience, reveling in the power she held over them, “I’m touched that you would go to such lengths to find a husband for me. But I must confess: this was not necessary.” She dropped the innocent act. With a vindictive glare, she bore a hole through Stoick’s soul. “For I have already made my decision.”

His eyes narrowed. “Astrid…” the chief growled, “you have not—”  
“HAHA!” cried Snotlout triumphantly from under the Berserker’s boot, “I knew she’d already made her decision because she’s been in love with me this whole time!” He received another well-deserved kick to the face to shut him up. Eager to hear her decision, the Viking men shushed him ferociously for good measure.  
“I regret to inform you that my heart is given!”  
“Given?!” They chorused.

Trying to hold in her laughter, she responded, “Yes, given!”

Their reactions ranged from outrage to uncontrollable misery, Snotlout the former, Fishlegs the latter. Stoick attempted to conceal raging emotions of his own.

“And to whom,” he asked in his soft dangerous tone, “have you promised yourself without my permission?”  
“His name,” said Astrid, eyes locked on Stoick’s, raising her voice to ensure all the bachelors could hear, “is Hiccup.”  
“Hiccup?!” whined Snotlout, “That has gotta be made up.”

The twins howled with laughter from the rooftop. “Sounds fake,” Tuffnut choked out between bursts of laughter, “but okay!”  
“And he comes from the North today to claim his love!”

Some of the mob, seeing they had no chance, stalked off to their houses or their ships at the dock. Fishlegs was one of them.   
“Well, can’t say we didn’t try, eh guys?” He sulked, “A for effort!”

The deranged Berserker Viking helped Snotlout to his feet. There was a dangerous glint in his eye. “Wow. What a letdown. I really don’t know what to say. I sailed all this way out here and I feel so—” The glint turned to a manic one. “Let’s pretend it’s funny! Isn’t it funny, Snothat? Hohohoho HOHOHOOHOHAHAHAAA!!!”

Snotlout and several others joined him in mock laughter, masking their pain. “Haha! Haha… Snotlout… haha HAHAHA!” Eventually, he too, began his slow shuffle back to his hut. “Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!” He cried out dejected.

Astrid smiled smugly. That takes care of that.

A rough hand pulled her aside. Now out of sight of the public, Stoick towered over her, looking furious.

“This Hiccup nonsense has got to come to an end, Astrid!” He ordered.

She crossed her arms. “I assume he came and spoke with you.”  
“Astrid, he’s not fit to be chief! We’ve no idea where he’s from or who he is! That’s not the kind of man we’d want leading our people.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Who’s going to be chief? You couldn’t have bothered to tell me this sooner?”  
“Don’t try and change the subject, lass.” Stoick warned.  
“He’s not going to be chief anyway. What does it matter to you?” Astrid challenged, growing hotter.  
“I said that’s enough! You are never to see that boy again.”  
“What?!”  
“I don’t like what he’s done to you. You’ve been sneaking around, keeping secrets—”

She prodded him with her finger. “Secrets? Well where did these men from Freezing and Berserker Island come from? Surely they didn’t just happen to sail in for a visit on the same day?”  
“Our people would never accept him as the husband to their chief. And I could never accept him as a son!” Stoick roared.  
“How can you say that?!” Astrid was enraged.  
“That’s enough of this! Obviously, you’re too upset to think straight. We’ll talk about this later. You’re to go home and never see this boy again.” He ordered.

She and Stoick had had their disagreements over the years but never had she been so tempted to fight him than she was now. The military tactician in Astrid warned her that she would not win a fight against him. Instead of caving in to her rage, she cried out in frustration and stalked off home.

How dare he sabotage her and not allow her to present her case? Clearly they were both upset and needed to cool off before they spoke of this again. But was he going to see sense before night fell? What would she tell Hiccup? Her brain pounded furiously to the offbeat drum of her heart.

Applause and wolf-whistles came from above.

“Bravissima!” cheered Tuffnut.  
“Encore! Encore!” demanded Ruffnut.  
“Shut it, muttonheads!” Astrid snapped, slamming the door with a force she hoped was strong enough to knock the Thorston troublemakers off her roof. She stumbled blindly upstairs. 

From her window, she could hear an embarrassing, dejected chant. It sounded as if it were trying to claim victory in the battle, even though it was over. And not even she had won.   
“Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!”


	6. Act I: Sc V

Act I Sc V  
The cold wind blew against her face. Perched atop Cloudjumper’s back, Valka raised her staff high in the air, signaling for the dragons to follow. The horde cried out in agreement, following the path Cloudjumper laid out across the sky.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Even years after she and Cloudjumper had made their first rescue, she still recognized the severity of every one. At any moment they could be taken down. Any moment the dragons could be recaptured. But that was what fueled her. She’d vowed to end the dragon trapping and hunting industry. She’d made it her mission to free every dragon in the Archipelago and beyond.

She signaled for Cloudjumper to rotate. With a swirl of the magnificent dragon’s tale, she could see the colorful pack behind them. A deep purple Scuttleclaw led the pack. He warned the others of nets whizzing from the catapults.

“Fire!” came a voice from below.

A net made of some sort of lightweight metal flew through the air, its path set on the purple Scuttleclaw.

Valka cried out, “Look out!”

But she was not fast enough. The net wrapped itself around the leader. He spiraled down to the waters below.

“No! Cloudjumper, dive!”

The Stormcutter put his four wings to work and let out his fearsome battle cry. It filled Valka with hope as she let out her own. They dove downward towards the water, coming dangerously close to the trappers’ range.

Cloudjumper cried out in fear as a metal net flew straight towards Valka. She skillfully slipped from her dragon’s back, dodging the net just in time and landing on his back.

The Scuttleclaw, however, was about to plummet to his doom when a Nadder swooped in and snatched him up with his claws. He carried the Scuttleclaw upward, let out a Magnesium fire blast, and shot a spine at the hunters. The others of the pack followed his example, bombarding the hunters with fire, spines, and the various attacks. This dragon had become the new leader.

“Yes!” cried Valka, her fist in the air. Cloudjumper followed, zooming upward. Her heart leapt. The ways of dragons would never cease to amaze her. She looked back. The trappers were merely specks, unable to reload, and consequently unable to report back to Drago with any more loot.

Cloudjumper drifted upwards towards the Nadder and purred what seemed like some congratulatory but respectful words. The Nadder squawked triumphantly. Cloudjumper took the lead, directing the pack to their new home.

As they drifted west, Valka’s heart rate slowed as she transitioned from one thrill to the next: the thrill of the rescue to the thrill of flight. Being in the air was a feeling like no other. She twirled on the Stormcutter’s back without worry for she knew he would always catch her. That was the strength of the bond they shared, her and Cloudjumper. He had opened a door to a world of possibilities bigger than she ever could have imagined. Yet she often thought about her old life in Berk.

She missed Stoick every day. Knowing her Stoick, she knew in her heart that he would have scoured the corners of the map looking for her but there would have been no way to find her. In the early years of her exile, she had considered returning to Stoick to beg forgiveness but she it would be futile. She knew the people of Berk were incapable of change. Her heart turned cold at the thought. She knew that if she returned Cloudjumper would be killed. She loved him too much to risk his life like that.

And it would also be quite a story for Hiccup. It had been hard enough to explain to Hiccup that she’d been banished. It would be even harder to explain to him that he was the son of the chief. At his age, he was due to be chief any day now. An image appeared in Valka’s mind; Hiccup as a Viking chief, sporting a horned helmet too large for his head, wielding an axe whose blade was bigger than his head… She laughed. The thought was ridiculous.

Not that she doubted his judgement, diplomacy, or skill. He was a brilliant boy. He was a fighter and a leader. With Stoick as chief, there was no need for Hiccup to make the long pilgrimage to his mother’s old village. The dragons needed him here. He and Toothless were as much the leaders of this ragtag pack as Cloudjumper and Valka. They made such a good team. With this fond thought, she was grimly reminded that he had declined the offer to go on this mission with her.

Valka felt her heart break. She loved Hiccup. He was so special to her and she was so proud of his skills and his accomplishments. However, her maternal instinct to protect him had more recently done their relationship more harm than good. She wondered if he was still upset about that time a few months ago when they had argued.

Cloudjumper had been injured and Valka had needed to stay at the mountain sanctuary and nurse him back to health. Hiccup had begged her to allow him and Toothless to go on a rescue mission alone but she had forbidden it. She knew that together he and Toothless were unstoppable but an attack without Cloudjumper would have been foolish. Then, he and Toothless had flown off and had disappeared for days. When they had returned, Hiccup had seemed secretive yet much happier. Since then, he and Toothless had been gone much more frequently than usual. At first, Valka had wondered if they had been going on missions alone, but Hiccup respected and loved her too much to blatantly disregard her wishes like that. Now dancing atop Cloudjumper’s back, she only wished that Toothless had not been too sick to join them this time.

Spikes of ice came into view across the horizon as Cloudjumper roared to the Nadder who directed the dragons to their new home. They roared with glee as they soared over the water.

Without Hiccup at her side, it reminded her of her solo missions before Toothless. After a rescue mission, he would come rushing up to meet her, begging her to introduce him to every new dragon. She was half-expecting a black Night Fury to rise from the mountain, Hiccup perched on its back, asking all the same questions he had as a child.

“How many trappers were there?” “Have you seen the spines on this guy?!”

But when no sign of Toothless or her son appeared on above the mountain, her heart fell.

The dragons followed Cloudjumper and the Nadder to the lovely green and explored the space gleefully. But Valka’s heart sank when she did not hear the friendly cry of a Night Fury or the voice of her son.

Her first thought was that they had gotten wind of another dragon in trouble. But if Toothless had been too sick to join them he certainly wouldn’t have flown off on his own. Hiccup would have left a note if that had been the case.

Valka checked all the dark crevices in the mountain where Hiccup and Toothless liked to hide. There was no sign of either of them. Except in one dark cave, Hiccup’s notebook. Valka took it in her hands and stroked the binding. Hiccup would never have left this behind. He carried it with him almost always. It contained all his plans for his inventions and details on all known species of dragon.

Emerging from the cave, she met Cloudjumper at its entrance. The dragon sniffed Hiccup’s notebook. His eyes narrowed.

“What is it?” Valka asked. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. “Is he in trouble?”

Cloudjumper lowered his wing for Valka to mount.

“Take me to him.”

They flew for hours as day turned to night. Eventually she saw lights playing off the water. As she drew closer, she saw that they were fires burning inside rock formations as if fireplaces had been carved to light sailors’ ways through the tumultuous sea. She hoped to all the gods that it was not what she thought it was.

Soon enough, across the horizon came the distinctive rock tower, teetering to one side. Her heart dropped. This was Berk…


	7. Act I: Sc VI: Act I Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOW I finally did the Act One Finale. In every Gilbert and Sullivan operetta it’s always the toughest piece to put together, considering the continuous music and action and rapid changes of plot. Let me know what you think! Happy reading!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKGwCVy9Q_c&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=15  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB2nbV92mRs&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=16  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e7cJ3zfgIg&index=18&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqUQ-BHeYH4&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=19  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JDsQRYg4x8&index=20&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC4P6_zLePA&index=21&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2YBYheW8xE&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=22

Act I Sc VI (Act One Finale)  
One last time, Hiccup made his desperate attempt at a Night Fury call into the darkness that engulfed both him and the forest. He waited in hopes of catching a trace of movement among the black. Worry filled him as all remained still. He begged the gods for the sound of a plasma blast.

Exhausted from a day of wandering the forest searching for Toothless and from Stoick’s painful rejection, Hiccup collapsed on an overturned log. He sighed bitterly. How could he have ruined his chances with Astrid and lost his best friend all in one day? However it had happened, he would deal with it in the morning. He was too tired to think. He didn’t know these woods. He knew the cove but it was miles off. Or was it? He wasn’t sure. He wished he’d marked his way from where he’d landed that morning. He cursed himself for his inability to think straight.

Now that he had given up all hope of meeting Astrid or getting home before morning, the inevitable crept into his idle mind. What if Toothless had been captured? What if Stoick had forbidden Astrid from ever seeing him again? The reminders that he had lost them both made it difficult to breathe. Hopelessness filled him and tears stained his cheeks.

Suddenly, from above came the unmistakable shriek of his beloved black dragon. Hiccup shot upward.

“Toothless!” he cried in relief.

The Night Fury sloppily landed on his feet, green eyes wide with concern, mewling as if to ask Hiccup where he’d been all day.

“Oh, Toothless, oh, bud,” Hiccup sighed, hugging his dragon’s head, so grateful for the comfort his cold scales provided. He stroked him, tracing the outline of his face, so relieved to have him back. “I sure am glad to see you, bud.”

Above him came another familiar sound; the four wings of a Stormcutter pushed cold air in the duo’s faces.  
“Mom!”

Another sight he was glad to see. Cloudjumper hovered closer to the ground and Valka skillfully slid down his wing onto the ground. Concern etched on her face, she grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders and wrapped him into an embrace.

“Hiccup, what happened? What are you doing here? We have to get you home.” She whispered urgently.

He had not expected the Stormcutter to be able to find him this far south from home. Cloudjumper wasn’t a tracker class dragon. How in Thor’s name had she found him? For all Valka knew, Toothless was too sick to take off. “Mom, how did you—”

She slid a leather-bound notebook into his hand. Hiccup recognized it as his own. Inside were drawings of mechanics for his latest contraptions. He had been so foolish to have left it behind! But if he’d learned anything recently it was that with Astrid on his mind, he was quite foolish indeed. He blushed, remembering the fib he’d told her when she’d left for the mission. At this very moment, Toothless was rearing to go.

Valka sauntered over to Toothless, arms crossed. Toothless grinned sheepishly. “And what’s this? It seems that Toothless is well enough to fly you all this way. Seems like he made a speedy recovery.”

“Yeaaahhh… about that…”  
“You lied to me, Hiccup,” she scolded, “I should have known that you wouldn’t respect me enough to tell me that—” She collected herself. “There’s no time for this. We’ll talk about this in the air. We need to get off this island. It’s not safe here. This place is no friend to dragons.”

Hiccup scoffed. “Yeah, you’re telling me…” He paused, “Wait… do you know about these people?”  
“No matter.” Valka avoided the subject. “We’re far from home. We need to get back.”

Hiccup had to make her see. He knew in his heart that she too had known love. She had told him how she’d loved his father very much. And she’d also known secrecy. She’d kept her suspicions about the intelligence of dragons to herself for years. Astrid was his love and this place was his secret. Surely she would understand.

“Mom, just let me explain.”  
“You can explain later,” she whispered. Cloudjumper hovered. Valka grabbed hold of his wing and used her staff to mount.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Those two were always backing each other up. Although he had never met his father, he’d never really seen Valka as a single mom: Valka and Cloudjumper were essentially a married couple and at this moment it was particularly irritating. The Stormcutter purred in support of his rider.

“We need to get out of here,” said Valka.  
“No.” Hiccup insisted.  
“Hiccup,” she warned.  
“You have to hear me out!”  
“And I will. Once we get into the air.”  
“Well, then, you’ll have to wait because I can’t leave just yet. I have some explaining to do.”

Despite Toothless’ gentle but urgent nudges, Hiccup couldn’t comply. Astrid would be due to arrive any minute by now. He couldn’t risk Toothless’ safety when he had to break the news. Toothless purred a plea, his eyes boring into Hiccup’s heart.

“No, bud, she’ll be here soon and we can’t risk her seeing you.” Hiccup begged.  
“She?” Valka asked. She slid down Cloudjumper’s wing slowly. The Stormcutter landed on all fours, its eyes just as curious as Valka’s. “Who is she?”

His feelings overpowered him. He collapsed into his mother’s arms, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. She hesitated at first, seeming surprised by his sudden outburst, but quickly returned the embrace. Hiccup could feel her stroking his hair. He was so embarrassed. He hadn’t cried like this in a long time. Frustration, sadness, hopelessness, and embarrassment had caused him to explode. He hadn’t wanted her to find out about Astrid like this. He had hoped to tell Valka when he had some good news, until Astrid had accepted Toothless.

“Hiccup? What happened?” Valka asked.

Cries subsiding, Valka sat the still shaking Hiccup onto the overturned log. He broke from her embrace and took several deep breaths. He didn’t want to see her face when he told her this story. It would be difficult to tell.

“A few months ago… after that big argument… Toothless and I took off and ended up flying this far south,” he began.

The Night Fury waddled over to his friend, nuzzling his nose against Hiccup’s hand in a show of support. This gave him courage. He continued.

“We got caught in the middle of some attack and we crashed and were separated on the way down. In my attempts to find Toothless in this forest, I met a beautiful woman.” 

He blushed. He felt silly talking to his Mom, champion of dragon refugees, about a girl but Astrid was so much more than that. She had to understand why he couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. However, Valka did not protest. She listened, stroking his hair.

“Her name is Astrid. She lives in the village. She’s my age. She’s fierce and absolutely beautiful… ” He sighed in a silly way, remembering the way her hair had cascaded down her back in waves the other night... Even in his despondent state, the mere thought of Astrid’s ferocity, intelligence, and radiance were enough to lift his spirits at least temporarily. “…and I caught her when she was throwing axes… Long story short, we became very close. So while you’ve been on missions, Toothless and I have been flying off to visit her.”  
“She gets along with Toothless?” Valka’s tone contained skepticism.

Hiccup sighed. “That’s the thing. The people in her village don’t get it. Since birth, they’ve been trained to think of dragons as monsters. I was hoping to earn her trust and then she would earn his.” Hiccup scratched Toothless in his favorite spot. He continued, “When I flew in last night, she and I decided that we wanted to get married. But since her guardian is chief of the tribe we figured I’d better clear it with him first.”

Valka seemed much more interested than Hiccup thought she would be. “The chief of the tribe? What did he say?”

“He forbade me to see her ever again! Astrid is almost of age to be chief and if I were her husband, I’d apparently also be pretty responsible for leading the people of his tribe. He said I wasn’t qualified. Of course I assured him that I was a leader, was careful not to mention dragons, but that wasn’t good enough for him. I wasn’t good enough for him,” he added bitterly, “and Astrid and I were supposed to meet near somewhere in these godsforsaken woods tonight but what am I gonna tell her?! That I’m not chief material? That this is goodbye?”

Tears welled up in his eyes once again as Valka took him and cradled his head and shoulders in her arms.

“She must be pretty special to you that you would overlook her prejudice towards dragons,” said Valka.  
“She’s both intelligent and compassionate, Mom. I’m absolutely certain that if I told her about Toothless, she’d understand. And…” He blushed, still feeling a little silly admitting this to the hero of all dragons. “…you’re right. Astrid is very special to me.”  
“Fear not, Hiccup,” she said, “we’ll make them understand.”

Hiccup’s heart leapt. “You will?”  
“Of course.” A smile played across her face.  
“Oh, gods, Mom, thank you so much.” He and his mother embraced.  
“Anything for you, Hiccup.”

Their tender moment was broken by a drizzle of Night Fury saliva. The dragon’s affection knocked him to the ground.

“Ack! Toothless!” Hiccup scolded with a laugh. Toothless chuckled as he continued to nuzzle his nose and lick his face. Hiccup managed to weasel his way out from under the dragon. “Thanks, Mom, and thanks, bud.” He brought his face to Toothless’. If the gods kept him from Astrid, at least he would always have Toothless.

Their moment was cut short as an axe whizzed from the trees. The boy and dragon dove in opposite directions to avoid it. Hiccup looked around.

Someone had been watching them in the bushes and was livid. “Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, agh! I cannot believe you!”

It was Astrid.

Valka climbed atop Cloudjumper’s back and took to the trees. Toothless bared his teeth. Astrid sauntered forward to retrieve her axe. Unsure what to do, Hiccup stood rooted to the spot.

“Astrid! It’s it’s it’s… not how it looks…” He spluttered. Despite the bitter cold, his hands and face instantly grew sweaty.

Heaving the axe from the log and raising it to Hiccup’s neck, Astrid scoffed. “‘Not how it looks?’” There was a deadly note in her voice. “You’ve been keeping secrets!”

The Night Fury leapt in front of Hiccup and into action. He roared, defending Hiccup. Astrid raised her axe. Throwing caution to the wind, Hiccup rushed between the two. 

Toothless immediately stood down but Astrid took some more convincing. Much stronger than Hiccup, she took him down easily. In response, the Night Fury shot a blast at her, which she lithely dodged with a backflip.

“No, bud!” Hiccup begged from the forest floor, “I need her to understand.”  
“Woah, did you see that?!” came a voice from the foliage.

As Astrid and Hiccup got to their feet, he caught sight of a crowd of Vikings peeking out from the trees nearby. Had they been watching the entire time?  
As if I needed any more embarrassment today, he thought.

“Uh, yeah! Of course I did. I’d have to be blind not to see that.” came another voice.  
“He got beat by a girl!”  
“Watch it, Tuff! I could beat your ass any day!” said another voice. This surprised Hiccup, as he did not think this voice had belonged to a girl. A small scuffle ensued.  
“Forget that!” said a man’s wary voice, “I know the sound of that beast anywhere! That’s a Night Fury! Stay where you are!”  
“Hiccup,” raged Astrid. She had recovered. “You cannot be serious! This thing is your… pet?!”

This is really bad, he thought. He had wanted to do this by degrees. Gently. Not all at once in front of a crowd of prying Vikings.  
“Well, he uh, prefers the term ‘best friend’—”  
“He?!” Astrid wielded her axe again.

Hiccup threw his hands in the air to stop her. Toothless came to his side and growled in warning. “Uh—uhm—Astrid…” he was trying his absolute best to mediate the situation but fear crept into his voice, “…this is Toothless—” The Night Fury’s eyes narrowed as he let out a snarl.

“Toothless? Hah!” came a snort from the on-looking Vikings, “What a dumb name! Check out how many teeth that thing has!”  
“Ugh, shut up, Snotlout!” came another voice.

Astrid shook her head. Hiccup could see the hurt from his supposed betrayal. He couldn’t bear to see her this way. She had to understand.  
“I believe,” Hiccup continued, swallowing hard, “that dragons should not be killed. He and I have formed a bond that—”  
“Enough of the dragon shit, Hiccup!” Astrid burst, exasperated, “Why in Thor’s name did you think you could leave out this very important piece of information?”  
“Astrid, I was going to tell you—” Hiccup protested. With every feeble attempt, he could sense her slipping further and further away from him.  
“Hiccup, the only way the people of this village have survived is by fighting and killing dragons!” She exclaimed, “I can’t believe you would keep this from me!”  
“Well, I figured you’d react this way—”  
“Yeah, of course I’m gonna react this way! You lied to me, Hiccup!” She held him at the mercy of her axe. “That’s it! We’re over!”

All the air in his chest left his body. This was not good… But he could fix this. He could help her understand…

“No, Astrid, I can ex—”

“What in Thor’s name is going on out here?” came another voice from the trees. One Hiccup recognized. His stomach sank as Stoick arrived on the scene.  
“Chief!” warned one of the Vikings, “Night Fury!”

As Stoick rushed into the clearing, Hiccup acted fast.

“Toothless, run!”

The dragon protested, his pupils widening.

“I’ll call if I need you, just go!” He begged.

Toothless bounded off on foot. Although worried for the dragon’s safety, Hiccup knew Toothless would be safer away from him. The Vikings emerged from the trees, closing in on Hiccup, Astrid, and Stoick to get a better look. Two beefy Vikings about Astrid’s age sidled up closely to her. Hiccup’s heart sank further.

“Way to go, Chief,” said another sourly, “you scared off the Night Fury.”  
“Night Fury?! Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Stoick asked.  
“I can tell you exactly what happened,” said the shorter of the two Vikings close to Astrid.

Hiccup groaned. He knew this wasn’t going to be good.

Now in good view, Hiccup could see that this Viking was not particularly good-looking with his huge nose and unprecedented air of confidence, but he certainly fit the Viking prototype for stocky, ugly, and not too bright.

“This man,” he said dramatically, pointing accusingly at Hiccup, earning him a glare from Stoick, “was seen with a Night Fury. He would ask us to believe that dragons are our friends!”

Hiccup grew even redder, feeling more stupid by the minute as the entire crowd of Vikings burst into raucous laughter.  
The shorter of Astrid’s suitors leaned close to her and whispered something in her ear. It must have been something repulsive as she delivered a seemingly well-deserved punch to the face.

A sliver of hope within him pushed him to step forward and confront Stoick. This was a second chance. He hoped his pleas to Stoick would reach Astrid somehow, as she threw him icy glares of her own.

“Sir, you have to believe me. Dragons are not what you think they are. Yes, you have been brought up to believe that they are terrifying threats to your very existence. But time and time again, I have seen dragons prove their good hearts. They don’t mean any harm.”  
“Any harm?!” bellowed Stoick, towering over Hiccup, “They’ve killed hundreds of us!”  
“Not for months! Other than the Night Fury, how many dragons have you seen on this island in the past few months?” Stoick’s eyes would not let him be but he pressed on. “None. Because they no longer have any reason to raid! A few months ago when I first crashed on this island, I freed the dragons from the tyranny of their—”  
“You what?!” cried Astrid. Hiccup whirled around to see her furious. She advanced towards him, the two beefy teen Vikings flanking her on either side like inefficient body guards.  
“Astrid, no, you have to hear me out.” Hiccup pleaded, “They’re not what you think! They’re just protecting themselves against the Queen dragon! For generations she’s fooled you all—”

He fell to the ground as Astrid punched him in the chest. “No, Hiccup, I’m the one that’s been fooled! You deceived me!”  
“Hear me out!” He jumped to his feet as his tears fell.  
“No chance!” She bellowed. Had dragons been nearby, their fire would have illuminated Astrid’s own fire in her eyes. She carefully collected herself and coyly eyed the two Vikings standing beside her. “And since I know that I can no longer trust you…” A vindictive smile played upon her lips. “…and since I am of marrying age…”  
“No,” Hiccup whispered.  
“…I hereby give myself to… one of these two!” She grabbed the hands of Vikings standing beside her and raised them to the air, as if they had all shared a war victory. “I don’t care which!”

Hiccup watched in horror as Astrid sauntered off, the two Vikings on either side of her rejoicing heartily.  
“Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!” chanted the short one on her right obnoxiously.  
“Woooooo!!!” yelled the one on her left giddily, “Oh yeah, Fishleeeeeegs!”

Hiccup could stand this no longer. He had to show them he wasn’t crazy. Astrid had to believe him! He was not alone in his love for dragons. He needed his mother’s help. But where had she gotten to? He cupped his hands to his mouth and let out his best Stormcutter call.

Suddenly, Cloudjumper shot straight up from the tree line followed by at least a hundred wild dragons. Valka stood masked atop her dragon’s back like a military commander. Even Toothless bounded forth from the trees to Hiccup’s side.

The Vikings gasped below, raising their axes and bludgeons.

“Okay!” said Hiccup in surprise, “Not really what I had in mind. It’s a little ehm…grandiose but right now, I think I’ll take all the help I can get.”

Valka raised her staff high in the air and aimed it downward towards the crowd of Vikings.  
“No!” Hiccup gasped.

The pack dove simultaneously, Valka in the lead. Claws sharp and teeth bared, each dragon set their sights on a Viking. 

Hiccup knew that this would only make things worse. Toothless’ eyes met Hiccup’s, mirroring his same fear. This was not at all what he’d had in mind. Hiccup mounted the Night Fury and they flew into the fray to catch his mother.

“We have to get her to call off the pack,” Hiccup explained to Toothless, “those lunatics will never see reason this way!”  
“Ooh! What a diverse pack! I think I can identify Monstrous Nightmare, Scuttleclaw, Thunderdrum, Zippleback…and that magnificent Stormcutter and its rider seem to be their leader! Unbelievable!” marveled Fishlegs, choosing to admire the dragons rather than fight them.  
“Hold up, babe, I got this,” said Snotlout, wielding his axe to the mouth of a Razorwhip but the dragon’s deft tail wrapped around his body and threw him to the ground. “Never mind. I don’t got this.”  
“Stoick,” called Astrid, “There are too many of them! Maybe we should retreat!”  
“Nonsense!” bellowed Stoick, “Never surrender!”

Toothless found Cloudjumper supervising the chaos and shot upward to meet him and Valka.

“Mom! This has to stop!” yelled Hiccup over the turmoil of the skirmish below, “This will achieve nothing!”  
“It’s only scare tactics, Hiccup,” said Valka, “Soon they’ll understand. They’re just as bad as hunters.”  
“But that’s because they don’t know any better!” Hiccup protested, “Please, mom, call them off. I couldn’t bare it if Astrid were hurt.”

Valka sighed. “Very well then.” She whistled and Cloudjumper ascended. Whirling her staff in a circle, the dragons below caught sight and followed suit, flying in a sort of tornado upwards. They hovered in a circle beneath Hiccup’s feet.

Cautiously, he held out a hand to the pack as he and Toothless lowered themselves gradually. Astrid’s eyes were focused on him. He was just about to land at her feet when Cloudjumper swerved in front of them and cut them off. Toothless reared back in surprise.

“NO! We just need to talk!” cried Hiccup in frustration.  
“Don’t worry, Hiccup,” Valka assured, still masked, “your voice will soon be heard…” She then directly addressed the Vikings assembled below, Fishlegs and Snotlout trembling, Astrid standing her ground as if fearlessly staring death in the eye.   
“People of this village!” said Valka, “For generations, you have slaughtered dragonkind in claims of self-defense. But today, their oppression ends.”

More Vikings shook below as the dragons above snorted in laughter.

“Who is the leader of this tribe? Let him step forth.”

Chest puffed, Stoick pushed Snotlout out of the way to face this foe. He looked impressive wielding his axe at Valka and Cloudjumper. “I am. If we put down our weapons, will you and your dragons leave us in peace?”

Stoick threw his axe to the ground. Hiccup watched in awe as the Vikings of Berk laid down their axes and swords. His heart raced and warmth filled him. Maybe Stoick could be reasoned with after all! Maybe there was still hope!

Valka laughed a powerful, terrifying laugh Hiccup had never heard before. It sent a chill down his spine. Why in Thor’s name was she behaving in this vindictive way?

“Oh, we will most certainly take flight,” Cloudjumper dove down and hovered feet from Stoick’s head, “but not until you’ve heard my son out. All of you will hear my son out!”

Hiccup and Toothless watched from above. “What is she doing?” Toothless shook his head. Hiccup groaned, “Moooommm…”  
“From today on,” she paused dramatically, “Hiccup will be a member of the island’s council!”  
“What?” roared Stoick.  
“What?” whined Snotlout, “Hiccup was put on the council before me?! But I’m a natural-born leader!”  
“Says the guy who got his butt whipped by the end of the dragon that doesn’t even breathe fire.” Two similar-looking Vikings, probably twins, shared a high-five.  
“What?!” exclaimed Hiccup, “Mom, you know what Stoick said about me! I’ve only led—dragons, not people!”  
“Hah! And what makes you think,” laughed a fat Viking with an axe attached to his arm, “that we would hear this lad out?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Nadder nearest him shot a spine from its tail and pinned him to a tree.

“Fair enough,” he agreed.

Stoick held up his hands in surrender. “Take your dragons and leave the people of this village alone!”  
“You will heed his words!” cried Valka, “Or… who shall say what evils may result in consequence?”

Both Stoick and Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

“He will rewrite your laws! You will no longer kill dragons: you will live with them in harmony!”

The Vikings below gasped in horror, save for Snotlout, who picked up the nearest bludgeon and hurled it at the Razorwhip. The dragon bared his teeth. Snotlout bolted back towards the village and several other Vikings followed suit. The dragons broke free from their circle and flew after them, screeching and breathing all the fire they could muster. Chaos ensued.

Toothless groaned.

“Tell me about it,” sighed Hiccup. They took off into the whirlpool of color, searching for Astrid below. He listened for the squeals of her new potential lovers.  
“Oh Thor! Oh Thor!” cried Fishlegs.

But Astrid had outrun them. When Toothless caught a glimpse of her, he sped towards her.

“Astrid!” Hiccup called out.

Hours ago, she’d been his lover. But in this moment, she looked at him as if he were the enemy. He could see the hatred in her eyes as she hurled her axe at Toothless. The Night Fury agilely zoomed out of its path. He soared upward.

The village came into view. Astrid darted towards the chief’s house and took refuge inside. Toothless bounded onto the roof.

The herd of dragons circled him as he and Toothless perched upon the roof, an impressive sight. The Vikings arrived in the square below, at the dragons’ mercy.

Hiccup was desperate. He needed this to all stop so he could just speak to Astrid. “Mom?” Hiccup cried amidst the confusion. His hopes had fled. His heart fell. He sighed.

Suddenly, the shingles beneath Toothless’ talons caught fire. He leapt into the sky.

“Woah! What the--?”

Hanging around the neck of the wooden dragon head atop the house was a sign reading “Burn me”.

“Alright! Yeah!” cried the twins with enthusiastic applause.


	8. Act II: Sc I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LGtXx9qkn4&index=23&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4

Gone were the savage dragon raids but at what cost? This Hiccup boy had turned everything on Berk on its head, and in some ways more than just figuratively. A Viking hanging upside down held up by a dragon’s jaws or tail in the village square was a fairly common sight. Hiccup’s attempts at living in harmony with these beasts was almost more trouble than it was worth.

Despite his protests of the stupidity of the institution, Gobber had been put on night patrol for the third night in a row. Hobbling along down the hill of steps from the Great Hall, he adjusted his sash, shaking his head at the pneumonic device for the “Dragon United Monitoring Brigade” which he wore across his chest… D.U.M.B….

The night was as peaceful as it could have been, considering that dragons and Vikings now lived together and were constantly itching to tear each other apart. Luckily, Spitelout, his usual partner in crime on the Dumb patrol, had injured himself badly enough, allowing Gobber to have the night to himself. He much preferred a night of contemplation to Spitelout’s incessant blather any time.

Although Gobber had never seen anything like this dragon-boy or his ideas before, it seemed to Gobber that the boy’s feeble attempts to bridge the gap between the worlds of two warring species would fall prey to natural order of things sooner rather than later. Dragons and Vikings could only coexist in harmony for so long. It was all cyclical. Gobber was certain that it was only a matter of time before the dragons wiped all of Berk out, conquered the island for themselves, and took out Hiccup and his mysterious masked mother in the process. Something about her phantom presence rubbed Gobber the wrong way, as if she were more than just a bad omen.

Lost in thought, Gobber had not seen a lone blue baby Scuttleclaw approaching and nearly slipped down the steps when it squawked in his face.

“Great Odin’s ghost!” He swore, righting himself, swatting at the thing madly with his hook hand, “Get away, yeh pathetic flyin lizard!”

This blasted baby dragon couldn’t take a hint. It continued to fly lopsided laps around his head. Gobber ran like mad for the forge, hoping to ward it off. With no luck, he tried shouting at the top of his voice. “Go on! Git! Yeh sad excuse for a seagull!”

Probably thinking this was some kind of game which Gobber did not find fun in any sense, the dragon saw where he was headed, beat him to it, and darted between the rafters of the forge, knocking all the hanging weapons off their hooks. Metal clattered against metal as they tumbled from the rafters while the baby dragon’s playful, excruciating high-pitched cries added to the din. 

Gobber shielded his ears in a lousy attempt to keep his splitting headache at bay.

“Gods make it stoppp,” Gobber prayed, unable to think straight. Even if he had remembered what Hiccup had recommended Vikings do when confronted with a rowdy dragon, he felt like it was the final day of the Midnight Sun and was too braindead to come up with a solution. Gobber groaned.

Overhead came another unwanted sound. Gobber looked up to see the Night Fury swoop onto the scene, carrying the youngest new council-Viking atop his back. Gobber groaned again. This was the absolute last thing he needed; a lecture on how to deal with dragons from a boy who strongly resembled a talking fishbone.

The Hiccup boy dismounted the black beast, carrying a double-bladed sword that lit itself on fire with a flick of his wrist. Gobber gasped in wonder as Hiccup used his flaming sword to distract the baby dragon. Hiccup spoke to the dragon in a soothing tone, almost as if it were a baby human, rotated the blade in hypnotizing circles, and led the dragon to land at his feet.

“There you go, little guy,” Hiccup bent down to scratch the dragon behind its budding horns, but firmly added, “Go on back to your mother and next time stay out of his stuff.”

The baby Scuttleclaw bobbed its oversized head in agreement and flew clumsily off. Hiccup turned to Gobber, almost seeming surprised that he had been there at all.

“Uhm, hey! Nice evening, huh? Sorry he gave you trouble. Negative reinforcement only goes so far at that ag—”

Gawking at the flaming sword in Hiccup’s hand, Gobber finally found the words to speak. “Never mind that! What in Thor’s name is that?!”

The sword seemed to de-flame upon Hiccup’s command. “Oh, this, sorry,” Hiccup apologized, “it’s a little invention of mine I like to call the Dragon Blade.”

Kneeling to pick up the fallen mess of weapons, Gobber sighed. “Great. Thanks. Now if you wouldn’t mind leaving me to clean up this—”  
“Oh, gods, what was I thinking? Sorry. Let me help you.” Hiccup began to pick up the weapons that had been scattered in and around the forge.

Although he would have preferred to spend the rest of his Dumb duties in peace, Gobber was honestly glad to have the extra set of hands to help clean up the baby demon’s mess.

“Thanks.”  
“Gobber, right?” Hiccup asked.

Gobber nodded. “Aye, that’s me, the village blacksmith. Although, I’m not quite sure what I am anymore, what with your new laws against ‘cruelty to dragons’.” He was not afraid to let this young boy know that his attempts to keep the peace were foolish.  
“Oh!” Hiccup’s face lit up at the mention of his profession, “Well, what a happy coincidence that Toothless and I found you.” 

He smiled at the Night Fury, who returned a toothless lopsided grin. Gobber had to look twice to make sure he hadn’t imagined how surprisingly gummy the fabled terrifying Night Fury’s attempted smile had been. Maybe these sleepless Dumb patrols were making him see things but these days, on Berk you came to accept that the impossible was only the improbable.

Hiccup continued, “Y’know, Gobber, even though with these new peace treaties, there may not be as great a demand for sharpened axes, but there’s still plenty we can build for the dragons and for ourselves too.”

Shaking his head, Gobber buried his head in the cleanup once more. “And what might those magnificent structures be?” He sighed.

“Well, maybe not on a grand scale, but I was thinking something a bit more personal. Maybe your own peg leg?” Hiccup asked, “Have you ever consider fashioning yourself a metal one?”

This peaked Gobber’s interest. “A metal one?” He turned to face the boy. “What’re yeh on about?”

The boy stood on one leg and showed his stump of a left calf, complete with metal peg leg, sleek and thin as a rail, yet sturdy as an oak tree.   
“I lost it in an accident a few years back, but with the skills my mom taught me, I was able to build myself a functional metal new one.”  
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Gobber nodded. He had to admit this was a feat. “What’s it hollow for?”

The boy handed him the fallen weapons and rushed to the Night Fury. He climbed up on its back, put the metal foot in some sort of stirrup, and the dragon’s tail unfurled, revealing a fabric red tail fin which sported a painted white insignia. Gobber admired the boy’s craftsmanship. It was like the boy and the dragon fit together.

“So, with me, he can fly,” Hiccup explained, “but I’ve been hoping to work out some of the calibration issues. This is only the prototype. Gods, I sure picked a bad day to test it out… Maybe we could work through it together? I see from your hook there that I’ve got quite a lot to learn from you.”

Looking the boy on the not-so-fearsome, gummy “unholy offspring of lightning and death itself” up and down, Gobber shrugged. This could be some sort of trap to get him locked onto a saddle on a dragon’s back. “Perhaps some other time. But for now, I’ve just gotta get through the shift. We’ve all got a lot to get used to, what with accepting your new… companions and all.”

The Night Fury let out an echoing sound that somewhat reminded Gobber of a laugh. Hiccup laughed too, but Gobber had no clue why. It was probably some sort of strange inside joke the two of them shared.

“Well, I’m sure the dragons have wanted to spend time on this fine island over the years but with the Queen Red Death breathing deadly fire down their necks, I’m sure they weren’t too keen on staying behind to enjoy the scenery.”  
“I never thought I’d hear myself sayin this, but those were the days,” the Viking scowled, recalling the best parties Berk had ever seen… Stoick’s wedding to Valka…  
“That reminds me,” said the boy, “During the years of the raids… what was your job exactly? Stoick mentioned something about you leading dragon training but coming from him, I doubt it’s the kind of dragon training I’m used to.”  
“Aye, that was the best part of the old life here on Berk. I’d train the new recruits to defend themselves.”  
“Oh,” Hiccup sounded surprised, “well, that doesn’t sound so bad.”

Finally. A way to make this boy understand that there were some things in nature that he couldn’t change. A brief job description of dragon training would most certainly make him see…

“Yup. Follow me. I’ll take you to the ring.” 

Gobber made his way up the hill. The boy followed, his dragon not two steps behind him.

“Up until about a few months ago, we had quite an organized system. Once a group of young Vikings came of age, we’d put them in dragon training… as in, we’d teach them to fight the most common dragons that attacked our island.”  
“What?!” Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks.  
“Well, what did yeh expect?!” Gobber exclaimed.  
“Please don’t tell me you rounded up dragons to… to…” Hiccup pleaded, seeming unable to bear the thought.  
“Relax, boy-o,” Gobber sighed, “we kept most of them around. The kills were reserved for the winner of training.”  
“Kills?!” Color drained from Hiccup’s face. 

The dragon Gobber had thought was not-so-fierce a moment ago was now living up to the legend. The Night Fury growled, menacingly, and its eyes narrowed.  
“Tell me,” the boy demanded, “who killed the dragon last time?”  
“Astrid of course! She was the top of her class.”

The boy was reeling. “No… she couldn’t… she wouldn’t!”  
“Look, Hiccup, it’s time for you to realize that there are some things you just can’t change. A long time ago, an old friend tried to challenge our ways and she’s no longer with us anymore. Even when I stopped to ask myself if she was right, I knew it just wasn’t worth the risk.”

Hiccup scowled and with a flick of his finger, the Night Fury poised for attack. “How about now, Gobber? Is it worth the risk to free those dragons you’re holding in captivity to save your own skin?”

Knowing this would only result in more chaos, Gobber shook his head. “It doesn’t seem like I really have a choice.”

Lowering the training grounds drawbridge, Hiccup and Toothless rushed past Gobber, heading straight for the cages at the other end of the ring.

“Fire, bud!” Hiccup commanded.

The Night Fury aimed a blast of purple light at the weak spot in the grate, causing a small explosion. Choking through the smoke, the village blacksmith saw four dragons rise into the air through the embers; his dragons he’d wrangled and captured for the new recruits; the Nadder, the Zippelback, and Gronckle, the Monstrous Nightmare. They circled a few laps around their old prison to celebrate their freedom, each one firing a blast of retribution at Gobber before they flew through the entrance to the ring. 

The meddlesome Hiccup and the Night Fury took to the skies. Gobber watched anxiously as they loomed overhead.

“Hiccup,” he warned, “just accept that there might be consequences for your actions. There are some things you just can’t change.”  
“Maybe,” Hiccup called down, “but as the member with the highest authority on the Berk council, I hereby declare this sickening ‘dragon training’ finished!”

Roaring, the Night Fury flew off and the other dragons followed suit.

Shaking his head, the blacksmith hobbled back to the forge. Some night for contemplation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry Act II is still pretty long. There are only a few left I have already written. Please tell me what you think! :)


	9. Act II: Scene II

Author's Note:   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC3L18J45Ls&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=24&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6-rx2674jc&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4&index=26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B7Dlqrgwb8&index=27&list=PLkzyBE-GRz632Ch7gLDJUdGRQs3xnsMk4

Act II Sc II  
The familiar gurgle of a Gronckle woke Fishlegs from his sleep, followed by the usual pounding on the rafters.

“Oh no, not again!” His voice nearly rose an octave as he clung to his blanket, even though he knew it couldn’t protect him from the imminent doom that dragon had in store for him. He rolled over on his side and pulled the covers over his head, praying to Thor that this thing would leave him alone.

Although he secretly admired the superior jaw strength of the Gronckle, its incessant use of its tail as a bludgeon in the black morning was starting to get old. A few days ago, that mysterious Hiccup dragon rider had jailbroken all of Gobber’s training dragons for the new recruits. Ever since, the dragons had found new ways to irritate the Vikings of Berk. Snotlout and Gustav fought each other constantly for a shot to kill the newly released red-hot Monstrous Nightmare but every time they got close enough, the dragon would lazily bend its skinny neck, pick the Viking up with its jaw, and fling him into the sea. Seeing the Thorston twins running for the hills from a Hideous Zippleback with their hair on fire was also pretty common. Even Astrid had had her trouble shaking the Deadly Nadder, which made it impossible for Fishlegs to even get close to her. 

At this point, he was really just following his parents wishes. He was happy to be still in the running for Astrid’s hand. He wasn’t sure if he really had the desire to help her chief. He would mostly leave the leadership duties up to her but now that he’d been put through to the final round, he couldn’t let Snotlout have her! Back when he and Snotlout were in dragon training with Astrid and the Thorston twins, he was rude enough but once Astrid had passed with flying colors, Snotlout had become unbearable. Snotlout, who had been neck and neck with her in training, had cooked up the lie that they would marry ever since. “Enemies to lovers, babe. Isn’t that romantic?” This would always land a blow in the jaw. Fishlegs was surprised Snotlout didn’t have a rock tooth by now.

Thump! Thump!

But the beast would not let him alone with his thoughts. Fishlegs gulped and grabbed the tiny dagger from beside his bed. Trying not to let the dagger fall from his sweaty hands, he bounded out the door, ready to confront the Gronckle.

“Hey! Hey!” He called at the mud-brown creature hovering above his house. 

It whirled around, stopping mid-bludgeon, and stared Fishlegs dead in the face. It growled as it dropped from the sky. With a scream of surprise, Fishlegs dropped his dagger. The dragon caught the pathetic excuse for a weapon in its mouth and chewed it to bits.

“Oh no no no no!” Fishlegs held up his hands in surrender. His only hope now was maybe to reason with this dragon, like that Hiccup guy had suggested. “I’m really gamey really! Are you sure you want to upset your stomach like that?”

The Gronckle rolled its eyes and spat forth the remains of the dagger now in lava form. It then let out a loud roar. In a last-ditch effort, Fishlegs grabbed the nearest rock and chucked it at the Gronckle. Much to his surprise, the dragon who he knew for its lack of agility, dodged deftly out of the rock’s path, scooped it up, and munched on it.

Fishlegs groaned. All his attempts to drive this dragon away were fueling it! He turned for the forest but another Gronckle landed in his way, blocking his path. Another landed. One by one, they closed in around him. It was as if the dragon had called for backup. A rainbow of Gronckles encircled him, teeth sharp, growling. Suddenly from above, a purple-white blast just nearly missed him.

“Thor!” Fishlegs exclaimed, rising to his feet. 

He looked up to see the Night Fury hovering above the group of Gronckles. On its back was Hiccup, smiling! Although Fishlegs knew the boy shared his interest in dragons, Fishlegs didn’t quite understand how this boy failed to understand the gravity of every possible situation!

“Good morning, plucky little adventurers!” The boy called down from the Night Fury. The Gronckles on the ground gurgled in excitement. 

“If you’re hungry,” the boy continued, “follow me down to the cliffs for breakfast!” 

The Night Fury purred and as it flew off, the Gronckles followed his flight path. The Night Fury twisted and turned, belly up towards the clouds. Hiccup threw out his arms like the dragon’s outstretched wings. The black dragon made a loop through the air, righted itself, and let out a roar, probably pleased with itself. Then, a gaggle of dragons of mixed species rose from the forest to join the Gronckles in their morning flight.

“Thor!” Fishlegs whispered. Even though it was far too early for this, he had to admire the variety of color and the way they all followed Hiccup and the Night Fury. Maybe showing off, it took another lap around the Ingerman house. Nadders, Changewings, Zipplebacks, and a few dragons he didn’t recognize followed, whipping Fishlegs in the face with their tails. 

“Whups! Ehm, sorry about that, uhm, Fishlegs!” Hiccup called down.

As they flew off towards the cliffs, Fishlegs couldn’t help but admire the sight. It was as if the dragons were rejoicing their freedom and thanking their new council member advocate. They cried out in their multitude of dragon class voices, as if singing ‘Hiccup’s a member of the council, changing every law we wish!’

These singing voices woke up the Vikings of the village one by one. In all the commotion, Fishlegs hadn’t seen the mud-brown dagger-munching Gronckle stay beside him. He jumped backwards in surprise, falling on his back.

“Please don’t eat me!” Fishlegs cried, knowing his attempt would be hopeless. Much to his surprise, the Gronckle pounced on his chest, stuck out its horrid pink tongue, and licked his face!

“Gah! What the—”

Fishlegs heard laughter from behind him. He righted himself and the dragon hovered next to him. He was surprised that the laughter next to him was not coming from Snotlout but from Hiccup, leaning up against the Ingerman house, arms crossed. The Night Fury was standing by as well.

“Hi, sorry,” Hiccup said, scratching his neck, “I promise I wasn’t laughing at you. Just at your friend there.”

“What, that thing?” Fishlegs could not believe this boy, “For the record, this thing is not my—” 

As if on cue, the Gronckle licked him again, covering him with saliva. As Fishlegs scowled, the Night Fury made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. Hiccup stifled a laugh as well, looking sideways at the dragon.

“Actually, Fishlegs,” Hiccup began cautiously, helping him to his feet, “I think she’s trying to bond with you.”

“She? This dragon is a she?” Fishlegs had no idea how Hiccup knew these incredible facts about dragons.

“Oh wow, they don’t teach you guys that stuff in training?” Hiccup asked in mild surprise, “Well, anyway, she must be pretty taken with you if she didn’t fly off with the other dragons for breakfast. Do you two have a history?”

The dragon padded in a circle around Fishlegs, cheerfully.

“If you count bludgeoning my roof every morning with her tail, then yes, I’d say we have a deep connection.” Fishlegs crossed his arms. He still felt uncertain, being circled by a Gronckle and interrogated by a one-legged boy with a Night Fury bodyguard.

“She looks like she wants to play.” Hiccup said.

“Play?” Fishlegs asked.

“Yeah,” said Hiccup. He pulled some unusual sword hilt from his pants, waved it in front of the Gronckle, and tossed it up the hill. The Gronckle took flight, almost hitting Fishlegs with her tail in the process. She took the hilt in her teeth and dutifully laid it back at Hiccup’s feet. The strange boy passed it to Fishlegs.

“Be careful with the switches or it’ll spark the Nightmare gel.”

Holding the hilt as if it were a gift from the gods, he tossed it as far as he dared without setting his house on fire. The Gronckle flew over to the hilt once more, butted it forward with her head. As Fishlegs held out a hand to gingerly pick it up for a second round of fetch, the Gronckle slid her large head into his hand.

Fishlegs gasped. “Woah… what just happened?” He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Hiccup came to his side. “You two just bonded. You made a connection.” He patted him on the back. “Nice going!”

He couldn’t believe his eyes. This creature had not been trying to terrorize his sleeping and waking moments. It—she had been trying to form a bond. The Gronckle opened her yellow eyes. Instead of baring her teeth, they curved upward into what looked like a smile.

“Hahahahah!!! Look everybody, Fishface finally made a friend!” 

This time it was Snotlout. He and the Thorston twins crept out from their hiding spot from behind the Jorgenson house. Hiccup and his Night Fury didn’t seem pleased with Snotlout’s snide remarks. Hiccup gave the Night Fury a meaningful look and the dragon shot a direct blast at Snotlout’s helmet, knocking it off his head.

“Nice,” Ruffnut laughed.

“I never realized how weirdly-shaped your head was until now.” Tuffnut remarked.

“Shut up, Tuffnut.” Snotlout muttered under his breath, putting his helmet back on his head.

“Y’know, you guys, Fishlegs isn’t alone,” Hiccup goaded, “I’m sure the dragons that have been following you guys around are trying to make a connection with you as well.”

The twins and Snotlout shared surprised glances with each other as if they were considering the possibility of helping end the feud. Ruffnut was the first to break the silence with a bout of raucous laughter, followed by Snotlout, then her brother.

“I hate to break it to you, man,” said Tuff, leaning casually against the Ingerman house, “but that same two-headed dragon seems to be bothering me and Ruffnut. And if my calculations are correct, if I tried to take to the skies on the back of a magnificent beast, I would literally plummet to my death.”

“Hmmmm… both of you, you say?” Hiccup mused, “Well, maybe not… I’ve got an idea.”

The Night Fury let out a strange sound Fishlegs had never heard before. Rings of purple sprung from his jaws and he bounded off, motioning for Hiccup, Fishlegs, and the other Vikings to follow. Fishlegs was glad that they too were as interested as he was. The Gronckle hovered beside him.

The Night Fury led them to the Thorston house and pounced onto its roof. With a short cry, two bright green heads immerged from around either side, snaking their necks to join in the fun. Upon seeing the twins, it stomped joyfully.

“Come on, Toothless,” Hiccup said to the Night Fury.

It baffled Fishlegs that Hiccup could call the dragon that name after Fishlegs had clearly seen it bare its teeth when they’d all spied on the embarrassing scene between the two ex-lovers.

Toothless beckoned for the Hideous Zippleback to pad around to the back of the Thorston house where the Vikings waited for them. The Zippleback got a little too excited and tried to go both directions at once. Their heads collided. Ruffnut and Tuffnut burst into devious chuckles.

“Wait!” Ruffnut had a mischievous glint in her eye, “Let me try something.”

She lunged at the dragon’s neck. Alarmed, the Zippleback snapped at her.

“AH!” She cried in surprise, jumping backward. Hiccup rushed up to help her.

“No, no, hold on a minute, Ruff.” He took her hand.

“Woah! I thought he was after Astrid!” Tuffnut gasped, “Who would have known he’d go for my sister instead! I mean, to each his own, I guess.”

Hiccup sighed loudly. “That’s not what I meant, Tuff.” He turned his attention back to Ruffnut. “Now, just follow my hand and close your eyes.”

“WHAT?!” She let out an anxious squeak, startling the Zippleback further.

“Just trust me.” Hiccup assured.

“Oh Thor,” Fishlegs whispered. The hand trick had worked with himself and the Gronckle, but that was an accident! To pull so blatant a move on such a stealthy dragon would hardly win its trust!

“You better start planning for your sister’s funeral now.” Snotlout laughed.

With a gasp, Tuffnut rushed towards Hiccup. “Wait! If you’re gonna feed my sister to that thing, you’re gonna have to feed me to it too!”

“What?!” Hiccup cried.

“Born together, live together, die together!” Tuffnut declared dramatically as he and his sister performed a ridiculously complicated secret handshake.

“No one’s feeding anyone to this dragon! But if you two can follow my directions exactly, I think you two just might be able to pull this off.” Hiccup insisted.

“Thorston promise!” The twins swore, spitting on each other’s hands.

“Oh, Thor, this is gonna be amazing,” Snotlout laughed to himself.

“This is not gonna end well…” Fishlegs said darkly.

“’Legs, toss me my sword,” Hiccup said.

Fishlegs threw him the funny hilt, unsure how a weapon would help his cause, as Hiccup had preached his distrust of their effectiveness in his dealings with dragons. But in that moment, Fishlegs understood what Hiccup had said about the Nightmare gel. With a flick of a button on the hilt, the sword lit up.

“Amazing!” He cried.

“It’s alright I guess.” Snotlout sulked.

“Woah!” chorused the twins.

Hiccup rotated it in little circles, watching the twin heads of the Zippleback dance as they watched it. They followed the blade with their comically circular heads as they lowered themselves to the ground. Hiccup dropped the blade and took each of the twins’ hands.

“Close your eyes.”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut took deep breaths, their hands outstretched. Carefully Hiccup let go of each of their hands and beckoned the dragon forward. The Zippleback padded towards the Vikings curiously, lowered its heads, and placed them into the palms of Ruff and Tuff’s outstretched hands. They gasped at the weight in their hands and opened their eyes.

“Awesome.” Ruff breathed, feeling its thick scaly hide.

“See?” Hiccup said to Fishlegs, “I’m not the only man who’s fallen prey to the charms of these guys. They’re truly fascinating creatures.”

The Gronckle nodded in agreement, her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. Hiccup scratched her under her ear and she purred in agreement. Fishlegs did the same and she seemed to adore it, gurgling more and more.

While Fishlegs continued to bond with his dragon, he watched Ruff and Tuff try to trick the Zippleback into smashing its heads together, like he’d seen the twins do on their own many times. So far, they’d managed to get them to mirror their movements.

“It’s like looking into a mirror,” Ruff said.

“—but you’re better-looking!” Tuff finished.

“Well,” Snotlout huffed, “your heads may be full of yak dung but there’s no way I’d go full dragon-lover. This is the face of a cold-blooded killer. And speaking of blood, I come from a long line of dragon-slayers and Valhalla would go up in flames before I’d ally myself with one of those fire-breathing demon monsters.”

“You sure about that Snotlout?” Ruff called over, “because last night I thought I saw you giving your leftovers to that Monstrous Nightmare!”

Smiling sheepishly, he shot her a “Shut up, Ruffnut!”

“It’s interesting,” Fishlegs remarked, watching the scene change before his very eyes, “dragons are pack animals… and it’s almost as if they’re accepting us into their pack, one by one.”

“Well, I’m glad you’ve seen reason,” Hiccup said, “but it won’t be so easy for everyone else… Fishlegs, have you seen Astrid?”

He had. In a weird team effort, he and Snotlout had been sneaking up to her favorite axe-throwing spots in hopes of finding her and winning her hand. The few times they’d even managed to speak with her, their attempts were in vain, as that baby blue Nadder would always find her and a heated battle would ensue.

“Nope… not recently…” Fishlegs lied. He’d seen her yesterday morning but hadn’t had the chance to talk. 

“Alright. Maybe she went to our usual meeting spot. We’ll go check it out,” Hiccup sighed to Toothless and hopped on his back. “Thanks, ‘Legs!”

“Yup! Any time!” Fishlegs grinned falsely.

As nice as this Hiccup guy was, and even though he might have a point about dragons, that was all the more reason to keep him away from an angry Astrid. Besides, Fishlegs was so close from tearing Astrid from Snotlout’s grasp.

As they took to the air, the Gronckle and the Zippleback’s ears perked up and they followed them.

“Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going?” called Fishlegs, “I thought we bonded!”

Ruff yelled, “Don’t go!”


	10. Act II: Scene III

Act II Sc III  
AN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeeizwSQ5tI

Shielding herself from the oncoming tail spines flying towards her, Astrid cried out, “You’ll have to do better than that!”

The baby blue Deadly Nadder squawked in protest as the warrior leapt over the fallen tree and into the dragon’s blind spot. Rage bubbled within Astrid and she let out her fearsome Hooligan war cry. She immediately regretted this loud bellow when the Nadder heard her coming and opened its mouth to fire its sparky magnesium shot. She leapt out of the way but lost her footing on the loose dirt and fell into the shallow valley below. 

The surprise of the fall had knocked the wind from her lungs, so much that she could make no sound. Unable to move for a moment, she heard the Nadder pad about merely inches above her. Slowing her breath, she waited until the sound of its steps faded. She dared lift her head enough to see above the thin tree root that separated her from the level forest floor. Her foe had created enough distance between the two of them for Astrid to continue the hunt.

As she carefully tracked the dragon through the trees, she couldn’t shake the feeling of discontent. These past few days hadn’t exactly been a picnic; discovering Hiccup’s allegiance with the enemy, Stoick’s betrayal of her wish to choose her own husband, Stoick’s sudden recognition of her place in line to be chief, Snotlout and Fishlegs’ incessant stalking, and this blasted Nadder that wouldn’t leave her be. This dragon was taunting her, and to spite Hiccup’s dragon-loving legislation, she would put it in its place. 

Hunting this beast took up most of her time these days. There was no Viking she could trust. She could not have been more frustrated with herself for falling for a man who had deceived and used her.

Astrid caught a flash of yellow spines through the trees and dashed towards it, quickly hiding behind a thick tree. She hoisted herself onto its lowest branches, hoping to give herself a height advantage. Even if the beast decided to fly, she could surprise it by jumping onto its back (Hiccup-style), then go in for the kill. She was nearly half-way up when she heard a voice call from down below, “I see her! Astrid! Over here!”

She looked down only to see Snotlout and Fishlegs, waving foolishly. She let out a frustrated cry. The boys had already drawn the Nadder’s attention and ruined her surprise attack. It turned on its heel and darted towards them.

“Ugh! Get your asses back to the village! I got this!”

Fishlegs let out a high-pitched nervous noise. “Uhhhh I’m not so sure about that!”

“No way, Fishface!” Snotlout argued, “This is my moment! We talked about this!”

Astrid rolled her eyes. She had no time for their bickering. She leapt from the tree, axe held high. Mid-leap, she caught sight of Snotlout weaponless and running headfirst towards the dragon and Fishlegs screaming wildly, rooted to the spot.

Snotlout moaned, “This is gonna hurt!”

“Snotlout, get out of there! He’s mine!” Astrid cried, mid-leap.

As Astrid cursed herself for her inability to think straight, the Nadder turned to her and shot a single spine, nailing her to the very tree from which she’d just jumped. Struggling to pull herself free, she watched as Snotlout stopped in his tracks. He held out his hand. The Nadder skidded to a halt. Snotlout breathed deeply, closed his eyes, and turned away.

“What in Thor’s name is he doing?” Astrid breathed.

She watched closely as the Nadder sniffed Snotlout’s hand and placed its head gently in his palm. Astrid couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Hahah! Snotlout!” He cheered to himself, scratching the dragon behind the spiky frills on its head, “See, babe? Told ya I got it!”

Flustered to have been called “babe” by someone as repulsive as Snotlout, Astrid gained the strength to free herself. Once on the ground, she lunged for her axe, not sure if Snotlout or the dragon was her target, but Fishlegs got there first. He took her axe and tossed it into the nearby cove.

Immediately, the Nadder took off after it.

“What the—why would you—what in the name of Valhalla—” Astrid blustered. She rushed at Snotlout to pin him to the ground but Fishlegs held her back.

“Relax, Astrid. We’re not here to fight.”

“Fishlegs, if you came all the way out here to recite one of your godsdamn poems again—”

“Haven’t had the time to come up with any new ones, actually,” Fishlegs blushed, “It’s been quite a crazy couple of days—”

The Nadder returned, dropping Astrid’s axe at Fishlegs’ feet. Before Astrid could grab it, he threw it again in the opposite direction.

“Fishlegs, what is going on?” Astrid demanded.

“Astrid,” said Snotlout, “we talked to Hiccup and he sai—”

“What does Hiccup have to do with this?” She asked through gritted teeth, crossing her arms tightly.

“Listen, hear me out,” he said, “He showed us some pretty cool things about dragons and with you about to be chief and all, we thought maybe you might want to try one more time to listen to what he had to say—”

Her eyes narrowed. “I am no longer interested in anything Hiccup has to say,” said Astrid through gritted teeth, her voice laced with venom.

The Nadder returned once more and dropped the axe from its jaws. Astrid seized it, pinned Snotlout to the ground, and held the blade to his throat.

“GAH! Good Thor! Stand down!” Snotlout pleaded, “Fishface and I just think you should give him another chance. Maybe not romantically because who else would be better for you than me?”

Astrid dropped her axe on his chest.

“OW!”

“Ugh! That’s it, you idiots! The jig is up. I can’t believe you two!”

Rushing to his feet, Snotlout nervously laughed, “Hahaha wait what do you mean the jig is up?”

“If you guys are serious, there’s no way in Valhalla I would marry either one of you! Especially with all this talk of reconsidering Hiccup’s treacherous ideas about dragons!”

A pout crossed Fishlegs’ face and rage crossed Snotlout’s.

Fishlegs began, “Well, okay, Astrid, that’s your choice and I respect that… but technically we aren’t quite traitors if we’re obeying Hiccup’s new council legisla—”

“Traitors! You’re both traitors! Anyone who befriends one of these beasts, who’ve senselessly slaughtered our ancestors, is a traitor!” Astrid lunged forward and threw her axe at the Nadder, but the dragon’s powerful jaw snapped the handle right in half.

Now on the ground, she was frozen, powerless as the dragon above her sniffed her like a piece of meat. Defeated, she held her breath. Inexplicably, the Nadder squawked and flew off into the cove.

Snotlout’s hand reached out to help her up. She slapped it aside and crawled to her feet without help. She may not have had her parents, a supportive guardian, or a lover, but at least she had her dignity. She decided she would get that Nadder later. She needed to restrategize.

“Go home, you two,” Astrid said softly as her feet dragged her on their familiar route to the cove, “I need to figure this out.”

“Babe!” Snotlout called after her. Without turning around, Astrid hurled her axe’s blade at him.

As his and Fishlegs’ cries of disappointment grew more distant, she couldn’t place why she was so angry with them. They had never really been contenders for her heart. It was their talk of befriending dragons that had really rattled her. Dragons had killed her parents. Succumbing to the will of the dragons would betray the Viking creed to protect each other from the dangers of this mad Archipelago. Even though Hiccup had changed a few minds on this tiny island, her mind would not be so easily manipulated. The death of her parents was only part of her hatred toward dragonkind. She knew she wasn’t the only one whose life had been turned upside-down by these beasts. Stoick had lost his wife to those beasts, to their manipulative power to cause treachery.

Astrid sat at the edge of the cliff at the cove’s entrance and looked down on the pool, hugging her knees. The peaceful sound of the waterfall slowed her heartbeat, but it reminded her of the nights she and Hiccup had spent here. She hated blaming him. She’d heard the Vikings on the council say Hiccup had lived outside society all his life. Dragons were all he knew. They were his people and he would never allow the thought of letting them be slaughtered. She couldn’t blame him. She sighed. Perhaps she and Hiccup weren’t as different as she thought.

Suddenly, the image of his mother atop the four-winged dragon and Astrid’s own word “traitor” rang in her ears, sounding an alarm. It all made sense. He was the right age. They believed the same creed. His nose even looked similar.

“Oh my Thor,” Astrid whispered.


	11. Act II: Scene IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Nightmare Aria: https://youtu.be/8NOqDwWpNN4  
> Author’s Note: If any of you listen to the aria, the “unrequited love” bit in the original is because Stoick’s inspired character, the Lord Chancellor, is also in love with his ward. Gross. I had to include this crazy dream sequence!

Act II: Scene IV

Heart pounding, Stoick jumped to his feet.

“They’ve killed hundreds of us!” He yelled.

Hiccup rose too, pounding his fist on the table. “And we’ve killed thousands of them!”

Of all the council meetings this Hiccup boy had overtaken, this one took the trophy for most disastrous. Somehow, Hiccup had managed to pull wool over the eyes of several young adult Vikings and tricked them into trusting and worshipping dragons, just as he did. Each had brought a dragon into the Great Hall. Each dragon flew and hopped about, making a complete mess of the place and starting more than a few brawls. This had been all part of Hiccup’s not-so-fiendishly-clever plan to induct these select dragons into the Berk Guard.

The Night Fury pounced on the council table. It bared its teeth and glared venomously at Stoick. Stoick stared right back into its soulless green eyes. The dragon remained unflinching.

“Stoick, with Vikings on the backs of dragons, think of what you could accomplish! You could protect your people from hostile territorial dragons who’d seek to take Berk for their own-”

“Take Berk for their own?! That sounds an awful lot like you, doesn’t it?” Stoick had had enough of this boy.

From behind, Gobber patted his shoulder. “Easy there, chief. Don’t want to upset any of the dragons.” He leaned dangerously close into Stoick’s personal space as a Gronckle menacingly slobbered above them, closing in.

“I’ve taken it easy for far too long!” Stoick snapped. He grabbed Gobber by the leg, swept him off his feet, and revealed the man’s secret peg blade.

“Oy! Watch it there!” Gobber howled.

A Viking-dragon brawl would have ensued had the Night Fury not shot the blade out of his hand. It flew across the round table and Hiccup deftly caught it. A red Monstrous Nightmare crept up behind the boy, ready to fight for him, and set itself aflame, illuminating the irritating smug smile on his face.

“Wow!” sighed one of the young adults from the corner, “What can’t he do?”

Stoick roared. “Fools! You’ve all been blinded by this boy’s fancy propositions and newfangled fire sword! Can you not see that he’s only trying to weaken us? If we follow his lead, the dragons will take us down from the inside. None of us would survive!”

“Okay, look!” Hiccup shrugged, “Stoick, I can have these four fine Vikings on dragons ready to defend the island in three days. Let’s give them, say, a three-day test run? Then, you can decide if you’d feel safer without their help. How does that sound?”

Stoick could not stand being bossed about by this beardless boy. How dare this child talk of compromising everything they stood for to infiltrate their society with these bloodthirsty beasts? 

“It sounds like you’ve all gone mad! It’s not like I have much of a choice.”

Hiccup crossed his arms and shared a smirk with the Night Fury. “No, not really.”

Stoick glared at him across the table. How dare this boy make a fool of him in front of all the council? He threw up his arms in frustration. “This meeting is over! Get back to your homes.”

“Chief—” Gobber began.

Stoick didn’t even pause to look at the poor man. “Don’t even get me started.” He continued to walk past, his head reeling.

Berk Guard’s newest scaly recruits came barreling out of the Great Hall, their soon-to-be riders chasing after them. Stoick stalked off to his house in silence, temples throbbing.

He pushed open the door and climbed the steps to Astrid’s room. He was not surprised to find it empty. He sighed, made his way to his own room, and took off his boots. Every part of him ached. He wished he could speak with Astrid. Neither of them had been home much since Hiccup had landed. He took off his helmet and laid on his bed. Sleep was what he needed. Sleep would set the matter straight. In the daylight, he would go to Hiccup, confront him without that dragon, and teach him a lesson.

He closed his eyes and within moments, he was in a longboat. He pushed past a crew of unfamiliar faces to chart their course. It looked like they were heading South towards Outcast Island. Although they’d never been on good terms since the Alvin incident, Stoick didn’t question it.

Rain plummeted from the clouds and the winds whipped up the waves around them. Stoick held onto the mast with all his might as the ship tossed the passengers and crew about.

“Thanks for the invite, chief!” called Gobber from behind Stoick, waving a sopping leg of mutton.

Stoick turned to see the council assembled, all chomping on the feast of mutton, burping, laughing heartily, and enjoying themselves. They took turns drinking from Gobber’s arm flagon and sang boisterously,

“When you’re lying awake with a dismal headache and repose is tabooed by anxiety,  
I can see you may use any language you choose to indulge in without impropriety.”*

“Stoick!” called a high voice from behind him. Stoick turned to see Hiccup, waving, looking younger than he ever had, “It’s so good to see you! But no time to explain, I’ll be briefing you on this afternoon’s trial. Gah! I’m so excited! This is my first case!”

“You’re representing me? And this is your first case?” Stoick asked, impressed.

“Well what did you expect?! I’m only eleven!” the boy shot back, hands on his hips, frowning.

With the events of the past few days, this didn’t surprise Stoick in the slightest.

The longboat, now the size of a raft, picked up speed.

“Okay, so I moved my traitor piece to spy on your Viking chief.”

Stoick looked behind him but the others had gone. The raft raced through the waters at an alarming speed. Hiccup was crouched over a game of Maces and Talons.

“Well then, Hiccup, I suppose we’ll call it a draw.”

“Haha!” He pumped a fist in the air, “I’ve won the tournament!” He hummed happily to himself as he scooped up the small sum of gold pieces next to the game board.

“Hold on,” Stoick reasoned, “haven’t you forgotten? Ties pay the dealer.”

With an ugly frown, Hiccup kicked the game board. Pieces flew off the raft and into the water. “Ties do not, you muttonhead!”

Unable to stand for this insubordination, Stoick raised his hand to object but a cold sensation overtook his body. He looked down to see that he was only wearing his tunic and boots which were made out of the finest black silk with gold trim. He took a closer look at this gold trim. Embroidered on the hem was a golden dragon.

Suddenly, he and the boy were flying through the sky on dragonback. The crew from the Viking longboat had joined them in the sky as well.

Hiccup yelled over the whirl of the wind, explaining his scheme. “Integrating dragons into the Berk Guard would be no different from planting vegetables! Just a few at a time, make a few deals with the local merchants, and bing! You’ve got a whole dragon force! Who wants in?”

“I do! I do!” cried Spitelout wildly.

“And Stoick, what about you?”

Stoick’s eyes snapped open and he shuddered. He felt like he’d been in a shipwreck. His neck ached. He rose from the floor, unsure of how he got there, trying to shake these feelings. He had to see if Astrid was home. Maybe she could summon Gothie. His skin crawled. Pains shot through his legs like dragon teeth. His foot cramped and he almost lost his balance and fell. He righted himself at the doorframe. Catching his breath, he sneezed, which led to a coughing fit. As it slowed, he remembered the ridiculous stream of nightmares he’d just had.

Day broke through his window and Stoick’s coughing slowed and his pain dissipated. Foot cramp subsided, he trudged to the window and took a gulp of fresh freezing air.

“Well, thank goodness both of those are over.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Opening lines from the original Nightmare Aria!  
> **Closing lines from the original Nightmare Aria!


	12. Act II: Scene V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I initially wanted to upload these two chapters together in case you thought Stoick’s nightmare scene was crap but I heard no protests. So, here’s a long-awaited scene. It takes a little longer to unfold in this story than in the original operetta scene because dragons, but I think I made it work.  
> For your listening pleasure: https://youtu.be/aTzQoNOD_QQ  
> Enjoy!

Mid-dive, Toothless saw where Hiccup hoped to land and grunted in discontent. He pulled up quickly and hovered, refusing to endure another encounter with Hiccup’s lady-friend in their secret meeting spot while he, bored, hid in the shadows, unable to fly.

“No no,” Hiccup assured his friend, “it’ll be just the two of us today.”

Toothless looked up at him, as if unsure. Hiccup patted his head in affirmation.

“I wanna show you this place. I think you’re really gonna like it.”

Toothless obliged and finished the dive into the cove. For the first time, they set foot in that secret spot together. Hiccup found it strange to visit this place in the early break of day. After he and his mother had met up on Berk, there was no reason for him to hide Toothless anymore, but the cove had always been a place of harmony. Even though it pained him to visit a place that carried so many pleasant memories of Astrid, this hideaway still brought Hiccup some sense of peace.

Panting with excitement, Toothless ran to the pond, and splashed around in the water gleefully. Smiling, Hiccup took a seat on his favorite waiting rock. His eyes watched the Night Fury at play, but his mind was elsewhere. Hiccup hadn’t had a chance to speak with Astrid about dragons. When he wasn’t pushing his dragon-based legislation on Berk’s reluctant Vikings, he spent every single moment searching high and low for her, hoping to gain her trust, but she was nowhere to be found. She certainly was a crafty woman.

Hiccup couldn’t decide who would be harder to convince; Stoick or Astrid. Maybe he could use his powers as dragon liaison to convince a few dragons to drag her in by their talons to a council meeting. But after realizing the dragons assigned that task could be in great danger, he quickly abandoned the idea.

“Ah, bud,” he sighed, “I’m glad to see one of us is enjoying themselves.”

The dragon purred in content, dove underwater momentarily, then surfaced with two fish in his teeth. As he slid them down his gullet, Hiccup continued.

“Y’know, I thought I’d be happy, making this island a safe haven for dragons, just like home but— boy, it’s not as easy as I thought it would be.”

Toothless mewed in response.

“Hah, you got that right. Stoick was right about one thing: leading dragons verses leading people? Two totally different arenas.” He sighed. “I mean, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins will be fine riders soon enough. That’s something!” He assured himself.

The Night Fury padded away and rolled over onto his back. He floated in the serene pool. Most likely, he wasn’t paying attention.

“I mean, maybe it’s because I have no idea what I’m doing. Or maybe it’s because I could use the help.”

An indignant splash from Toothless came in reply. 

“AGCH!” Hiccup glared at his chuckling friend but couldn’t hide his smile. He tried to shake the water from his riding suit. “I didn’t mean that. I know I’ve got your support and I thank you for that but…it’s different, bud. I think… I think I could use Astrid at a time like this.”

“What makes you say that?” said a familiar woman’s voice from behind him.

Astrid stood at the entrance to the cove, leaning against the rock walls. Hiccup leapt to his feet. Her expression seemed much softer than the last time he’d seen her but nevertheless, he took precautions: with a flick of his ring finger, he signaled for Toothless to dive underwater. As she slowly approached, Hiccup made sure he kept his back to the water, lest she see the dragon’s dark scales that stuck out like a sore thumb in the morning light.

“Astrid!” As he spoke her name, a pang of longing shot through him. He had missed her council so much. He had missed her unwavering support, but everything had changed, perhaps even more than he’d thought, as she came to the cove unarmed. He let out a small sigh of relief, glad that Toothless would be safe. He knew this was the time. He had to tell her now. He gulped. “Have you come to announce your betrothal?”

“A bit the opposite, actually,” she admitted, stopping very close to him, almost close enough for him to reach out and touch her hand, “You see, I have no flying friends to advise me.” 

She stood on tiptoe to see around Hiccup’s shoulders. Reflexively, he extended his arms to block Toothless’ emerging ears from view. “Toothless!” He whispered sharply. The ears disappeared into the water in an instant. Hiccup dropped his arms with a sigh. “Astrid, I am so sorry about everything. You trusted me, and I betrayed that trust.”

She crossed her arms and averted her gaze. “You lied to me, Hiccup,” She spoke softly, “You were on their side the whole time.”

“No, no, Astrid, it’s not like that.” Then, Hiccup explained how he and Toothless had defeated the Red Death, who had grown fat on the labor of its slaves.

As he told his story, Astrid’s eyes slowly rose to meet his. After the story and a bit of uncomfortable silence, she said, “Rescuing those dragons seems pretty important to you.”

Hiccup nodded. “It’s who I am. And if you can’t accept that, I understand.”

Astrid sighed. “Do you understand?” This time, Hiccup was the one who dropped his gaze. Astrid lowered her head to meet his eyes. “Do you? Hiccup, my entire society, everything I know, is rooted in the survival of my people. If we want our culture to survive, we have to fight anything that stands in our way.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be like that.” He extended his hands to her. His heart nearly skipped a beat as he waited for her to accept. Astrid hesitated slightly but reached out and the two joined hands. “If you put your differences aside, peace is possible. May I show you?” He asked. It was a gentle request, but the stakes were urgent.

Astrid nodded.

Hiccup sighed with relief and gave her hand a squeeze. He knew he hadn’t yet won her favor, but it was a start. He was glad she was there. “Thank you. Now, it’s time for a fresh start. Toothless?” Hiccup called.

Toothless’ head popped up from the water and he padded slowly to the its edge. Once on the cove floor, he shook his scales dry, Hiccup doing his best to shield Astrid from the fallen droplets.

“Agch! Come on, bud, where are your manners?” He scolded, “Astrid, this is Toothless.”

Her grip on his hand tightened as he pulled her closer to the dragon. “Toothless?” She asked, curious, “What kind of name is—”

Sitting on his haunches, Toothless did his best impersonation of a toothless lop-sided smile.

“Woah that’s insane,” whispered Astrid.

“Toothless, Astrid.”

Toothless bobbed his head and dropped to all fours. He padded towards Astrid and her grip on Hiccup’s hand tightened once again.

“What is he doing?” She asked.

“He’s saying hello.”

Toothless sniffed her boot, then her hand. Astrid instinctively drew back but Hiccup deftly slid his hand outside of hers. He extended his arm as Toothless drew closer to Astrid’s hand. Hiccup watched closely as Astrid made the decisive move, placing her hand on the Night Fury’s snout.

“Hey,” she whispered, a little lost for words, “it’s good to meet you… again.”

Toothless pulled back and shook his head, glaring a little.

She continued, “Uhm, sorry about the other day, I really didn’t know that you were this uhm… uh…”

Hiccup suggested, “Amazing? Fantastic?”

“…this… cute!”

Toothless purred as if accepting the compliment.

“Well, that’s not the way I would put it but, sure. He’s a cutie.” Seeing Toothless’ glare, he continued, “A big ol’ softie.”

With a swish of his tail, Toothless flung pond water on the both of them.

Astrid managed a nervous laugh. “What’s this?” She asked, pointing to his mechanical tail.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and locked his prosthetic into place, causing the red fabric to fan out and create a symmetrical tail. “This way, he can fly.

“Did you make that yourself?” Astrid asked.

“Yep,” he said, proudly.

“I guess the blacksmith thing wasn’t a total lie,” said Astrid, crossing her arms and almost smiling, “but where did you learn?”

“My mom taught me everything I know. She and I rescue dragons from hunters and take them back to live with us.”

“And where do you all live exactly?” Astrid asked.

“North. Very far North.”

“Do you live on an island or do you just fly around all day?”

He laughed. “We have a base of sorts but if it were up to me, we’d never land.” Toothless gurgled in agreement.

“Wow. Riding a dragon. I gotta say,” said Astrid, “that’s kind of impressive.”

Hiccup crossed his arms while Toothless growled. “‘Kind of?’”

“I mean if Snotlout can do it—”

“Not always!” Hiccup assured, “Why don’t I show you?” He offered his hand. Astrid’s eyes darted between his hand and Toothless’ green eyes. The dragon mewed, giving her permission. “I think you’re going to like it.”

The Viking woman’s eyes lit up and they met Hiccup’s. Unblinking, she reached into her sleeve and produced a scrap of paper. Hiccup was taken aback. In the haze of the last few days, he had forgotten the letter he had left her the morning he had barged into Stoick’s house. Astrid unfolded the letter, read his words, then gave half a smile.

“So, this was your plan? Win Stoick over and then surprise me with a flight on Toothless?”

Relief washed over him. “Yeah but it didn’t quite play out the way that I’d anticipated.”

With a laugh, she took his hand and he hoisted her onto the Night Fury’s back. A warmth filled him, but it quickly dissipated the moment she elbowed him in the ribs.

“GAH! What was that for?!”

“To make sure you never lie to me again,” she said with a smile.

With a vindictive laugh, Toothless hovered for a moment. With a surprised cry, Astrid clung to Hiccup’s waist. Hiccup adjusted the dragon’s tail and they slowly rose above the walls of the cove.

“Okay, well this is a surprise for sure,” Astrid said, her voice about an octave higher than usual.

“Oh yeah?” Hiccup asked, smiling.

“Well, all the stories I’ve heard about the Night Fury told of its incredible speed, and no offense meant to your dragon, but this wasn’t the surprise I was expecting.”

Snorting indignantly, the Night Fury glanced upward at Hiccup, who smiled. “Alright, bud, let’s show her speed.”

Toothless shot upwards, soaring into the clouds towards the breaking sunlight. After a few quick barrel rolls, he righted the humans, who flew parallel to the land below them as they zoomed across the morning sky. Whooping and gleeful with surprise, Astrid hugged Hiccup tighter as the aerial view of the forest passed beneath them.

“Oh gods! Hiccup!” She exclaimed, whipping her head around, “I can’t even see the cove anymore! Oh gods! We were just there!”

“How’s that for speed?” Hiccup cried over the roar of the wind.

“Let’s just say he exceeds expectations!”

Roaring, Toothless fired a bolt of purple plasma and flew straight through its embers. The embers singed the ends of their hair and made it stand on end.

“Showoff,” Hiccup joked, but secretly congratulated him for showing off his party trick.

Astrid laughed, “Wow, with all your new legislation, the singed look is very in. It’s a good look for you.”

“Why, thank you.” He couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his lips. “Toothless, let’s show her our view from our commute.”

The dragon pivoted and glided to reveal the great Viking statues and the teetering askew rock structure that distinguished Berk from its surrounding sandy islands. Toothless slowed for their guest to get a good view of the sheep farms and homes of the Vikings below.

The Viking gasped. She had seldom been described as ‘lost for words’ but the view from atop the dragon’s back had her breathless. “Oh my gods. Oh my gods,” she kept whispering. Eventually she managed to choke out, “Hiccup, this is beautiful.”

Although he’d never quite seen Berk in this way before, he supposed in its own strange way, it was. The Vikings of Astrid’s village were stubborn but good-hearted and surprisingly, some of them were willing to embrace change.

A flash of red scales crossed their path as a Nightmare cut Toothless off. On the dragon’s back was Snotlout.

“Did someone say ‘beautiful’? Knew you were talking about me,” Snotlout boasted, but his face fell when he saw her hugging Hiccup’s torso. “Wait, what?! This is who you leave me for?!”

As Hiccup frowned, he needn’t ask anything of the Night Fury, for he’d already shot a warning blast at the stocky Viking’s helmet. Fumbling, Snotlout caught the helmet. The Nightmare chuckled. “Hookfang.” The Nightmare sped away, Snotlout scrambling to hold on.

With a scowl, Hiccup observed, “Looks like we’ll have to fix his saddle. Or his attitude.”

“Good luck with that,” said Astrid sarcastically.

Toothless continued his slow lap around the village.

“Speaking of Snotlout,” the dragon rider continued, “what was that he said about leaving him? Does this mean the next chief has chosen her groom?”

“Eh, well I think we’ll need to talk to his parents first,” suggested Astrid casually, “Is your mother around?”

Eavesdropping on the conversation, Toothless nearly stopped mid-air.

“Woah w—wait wait wait, what?” sputtered Hiccup, “What was that you said about talking to your betrothed’s parents? My—my parents?”

He couldn’t believe it. After all he’d put her through, the deceit, his entire lack of understanding of Viking society, the dragon, she still cared for him. His crazy whim of marriage, proposed in a hot moment, could still be a reality for the two. He couldn’t believe it. He knew he didn’t deserve her affection, but in that moment, he swore he would do his best to earn it.

She ran a hand down his back, resting it at his small. It fit there so comfortably. “I’m surprised you even considered Snotlout and Fishlegs as romantic rivals!”

“Well, this was certainly a surprise,” Hiccup admitted, a warm feeling spreading through his body. 

As if on cue, Toothless pulled over onto a nearby sea stack. Hiccup dismounted and helped Astrid off the Night Fury’s back. He took her hand and placed it on his heart. Toothless warmed a spot for himself to get comfortable and rested his eyes, giving them some privacy.

“Astrid, do you really mean that?” Hiccup asked, “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness but are you willing to let me make it up to you?”

“As long as your parents talk through their differences.”

Unsure of what his mother and his absent father had to do with this, Hiccup couldn’t decipher her meaning. “My parents? Plural? I mean Stoick will need to chat with my mom but what does my father have to do with any of this?”

Sighing, Astrid took a seat on the sea stack and Hiccup followed. “Hiccup, has your mother ever talked to you about her other life? The one she had before she was a mother?”

Brow furrowed, Hiccup responded, “Not often. I don’t think she likes to talk about it.”

“Well, I’m sure she’s said something,” she pressed.

“As a matter of fact, yes, she’s mentioned that she came from a Viking tribe who didn’t exactly coexist with dragons, but Astrid, what does this have to do with your—our betrothal?”

“Well, why don’t you ask her?”

Suddenly, a blue and yellow Nadder spine pierced the space between them. Hiccup and Astrid looked upward to see a baby blue Nadder descending.

“Oh gods, it’s that blasted beast,” Astrid grumbled, her expression hardening.

“Easy, easy,” Hiccup urged, “we don’t want to aggravate her.”

From behind, Toothless readied himself in case Astrid lapsed back into instinctual battle mode.

“This thing has been trailing me ever since the council fiasco began.” The Nadder lowered herself onto the sea stack, sniffing Astrid’s thick braid, eager to play. “It won’t leave me alone!”

“She seems pretty excited to see you. Maybe you should formally introduce yourself?” Hiccup coaxed. This was the real test of his abilities as a dragon liaison.

Astrid crossed her arms and played in the dragon’s blind spot, eager to stay out of the Nadder’s view. “Hmmm,” she mused, “let’s make a deal: how about you call your mother over here and while we’re waiting for her, you show me how to train this dragon?”

Smiling, Hiccup took Astrid by the hand, pulled her in, and kissed her. It was a slow kiss that begged for forgiveness that he could never truly have but promised to support her in all she did as a chief and as a woman. She reciprocated with equal fervor, adding her tongue to the mix. Their tongues played against each other’s until Slap Toothless’ tail met Hiccup’s knees, knocking him to the ground. The two lovers laughed as she helped him to his feet.

“Right, right, bud. Thank you for the reminder. Where were we?” He cupped his hands and yelled his best Stormcutter call into the distance. In its resounding echoes, he turned to Astrid. “I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! The long-awaited Hiccup-Astrid make-up scene! Only a few chapters left! Please review. I've been working on this for a really long time. I've finished very few stories but I hope this is one you'll like! <3


	13. Act II: Scene 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! As you might have noticed, this is the penultimate chapter in the story. I hope you enjoy it! Please review! 
> 
> Since I've been so wrapped up in trying to advance my career as a singer, I'm trying to find other ways to be happy, instead of basing all my happiness on the success of my career. Writing is another skill I'm hoping to improve and another place in my life I hope to find joy. Please review! Thanks for reading!   
> Much love,  
> Smidvarg

Act II: Sc VI

The familiar salty stench wafted on the breeze towards Queen of Dragon Island. With a heavy heart, Valka signaled for Cloudjumper to land on the island’s rocky shore. Gracefully, she slid from his wing and landed on the beach while her dragon companion landed beside her. He prodded her with a talon, hoping they could survey from above, an integral part of their Archipelago island exploration routine, but she dismissed him.

For the first time in twenty years, Valka ached to stand on solid ground. She let Cloudjumper take the lead as she began her slow walk around Queen of Dragon Island’s perimeter. The past few days with Hiccup as a member of the council had been much harder on her than she had anticipated. Fear, anxiety, and dread coursed through her constantly. Although she, Cloudjumper, Toothless, and Hiccup met nightly at the topmost tier of the teetering rock formation that gave Berk its character, she refused to show her face on that island. She had to beg the Stormcutter not to venture into its forest. Although they were far from the village, the woods were crawling with Vikings these days, especially with Hiccup’s newly-converted amateur dragon riders. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing them. She couldn’t risk anyone telling Stoick.

Her feet stopped. Unable to hear the previous incessant crumble of stones beneath her feet, Cloudjumper’s head spun around to face her. Pasting on a false smile which failed to reach her eyes, she waved him onward, telling him she would catch up momentarily. He took to the sky and surveyed the island’s wall of caves from the skies. Tired and empty, Valka sat on the beach and watched the frigid waves slowly erode the stones under her.

She couldn’t shake the terrible feelings from the abysmal reunion she’d had with Stoick. For the first time… After all those years… He had become no more than a symbol of the barbaric destruction of the beasts she had sworn so fiercely to protect. In that moment, she had failed to see him as her support, her lover, her husband. Through her mask in that moment, she had not truly seen Stoick; she’d seen a cruel chief who would never accept the ways of the dragons, the ways of a new era, the ways of her son… their son…

But even if she had really seen him that moment, would she have revealed herself? Maybe. Maybe not… It was hard to know what she would have done. After all, it had been twenty years. What would she have said? If Stoick had wanted her back in his life, he would have pardoned her and admitted her back into the tribe. Valka dismissed the idea. After she was banished, she was pregnant, bonding with Cloudjumper, then a first-time mother. She didn’t exactly establish a home address. Additionally, defending Berk from dragon raids and running a village was more than a full-time job, which would have left Stoick little time to send out fully-equipped search parties for a single traitorous woman who, for all he knew, was likely dead.

During that fateful reunion, with the dragons of Berk and the surrounding Archipelago at her command, her desire to do good by the dragons had fueled her She knew Hiccup was ready to take up the challenge that she, disgraced, could not. However, in retrospect, she wished she hadn’t thrust those responsibilities upon him so suddenly. She had always wanted to tell him his true heritage, but each night they met, their political advising meetings left little to no time for personal matters, like the small fact that his current high rank was technically his by birthright.

Then, from the East came the wailing call of a Stormcutter but it sounded a little off. Valka realized it was Hiccup and shook her head. He still had a lot of fine-tuning to attend to in the dragon calls department. Cloudjumper must have realized this as well, as he dove towards Valka on the rocky beach and extended a wing. She hoisted herself onto his back without hesitation. Even though the sun had not yet set, she needed to act now. Hiccup could be in danger.

“Come on, Cloudjumper.” Valka’s heart raced.

To the East, Valka and her dragon saw sea stacks on the horizon. On the stacks, she could make out the shapes of two dragons and two humans. Toothless and Hiccup of course, and perhaps a newly converted rider and her dragon? Whether she was friend or foe, she couldn’t take any chances. She donned her mask.

As they drew closer, Hiccup signaled for them to land. Cloudjumper obliged. He proceeded to make friends with the blue Deadly Nadder, who seemed to have done so with Toothless.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Valka asked.

“Mom,” Hiccup was beaming, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m so glad to see you. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” His eyes lingered on her mask. “Properly,” he added.

Valka hesitated before revealing her identity before this Viking, but she and Hiccup shared a knowing look. If her son could trust this Viking, so could she. Heart pounding, she removed her mask.

“Mom, this is Astrid,” Hiccup introduced her to the Viking woman. Valka nodded. Astrid did the same. “Astrid, this is my mother V—”

“Valka, I know.” Astrid finished.

“Woah, that’s—that’s totally correct! How—how—how on earth did you guess that?” Hiccup sputtered, flabbergasted.

Valka’s heart fluttered. Stoick’s ward knew her name. He must have told Astrid about her. Maybe there was hope for change after all.

“We’ll get to that,” Astrid soothed, “So here’s the plan: Valka, Hiccup and I would like to get married, but he’s not exactly on the best terms with the chief of my tribe right now.”

“We were wondering if you could plead on our behalf?” Hiccup asked, taking Astrid’s hand.

Two armored lovers and their dragons reminded Valka of herself and Stoick when they were young, and what could have been, but she came quickly to her senses.

“No that cannot be,” Valka held back tears.

“What? Mom!”

Astrid put her hands on her hips but seemed unfazed. “Why not?”

Valka figured Astrid already knew the answer to that question. Guilt crept into her stomach. She had to tell Hiccup the truth. She looked Hiccup in the eyes and with a deep breath, revealed her secret.

“Stoick is my husband and your father.”

As Valka had suspected, Hiccup was shocked, but Astrid must have figured it out already. She stepped aside to give the mother and son a moment.

“He’s… my father?” Hiccup whispered. In his eyes, Valka could see him connecting all the pieces of her story together. “You knew this place. You knew the Vikings here weren’t friendly to dragons. Astrid said he’d been married but… they all thought she—you’d be dead by now.”

Valka sighed. She took her son’s hand and they had a seat on the rocks. “It’s true. I was banished for protecting a dragon.” She and Cloudjumper shared a solemn smile.

“That’s how you two met?” Hiccup asked.

His mother nodded. “Now you see why I couldn’t go back? The people of Berk will never accept us as we are. Not without force.”

“Mom, you know that’s not true. Listen to yourself! How is what we’re doing, using the awesome power of dragons to enforce laws in our favor, any different from their threats to dragonkind?”

Valka looked away. His words stung.

“Mom,” her son continued, “Astrid’s family was destroyed by the tyranny of the Queen of Dragons, but now, she’s even bonded with a dragon of her own. I—I—can’t even begin to describe—how crazy is that? I mean… If the ward of Stoick the Vast can do it—” Hiccup stopped himself, “if the son of Stoick the Vast can do it, who’s to say he won’t accept you for who you are?”

Deep in her heart, she wanted desperately his words to be true, but doubt had jaded her. “No,” she said coldly, turning from Hiccup, “there are some crimes even a husband won’t forgive.”  
For a moment, Hiccup was silent. Valka knew she couldn’t plead for the lovers. She wouldn’t know what to say. She couldn’t show her face to Stoick again. She hung her head in despair.   
A hand grasped Valka’s and pulled her to her feet.

“Valka,” said Astrid, putting her hands on Valka’s shoulders, “I know Stoick better than anyone. And if I know anything about Stoick, I know he would give anything to see you again.”

“If he knew all the trouble I’d caused… the laws I devised… for humans and dragons to live alongside each other… the deceit…the years I kept his son from him…” Valka could barely find the words.

“I’m not quite sure what he’ll do,” Astrid admitted, biting her lip, “but you can never be sure ‘til you’ve tried.”*

A fire stirred in Valka, a fire she’d often felt before a rescue mission. Astrid’s talk of hope had sparked something within her.

Astrid took Hiccup by the hand. “Valka, if Hiccup, the son of the chief, and I, the chief’s ward, married, then together, we could end the war between dragons and Vikings.”

Still recovering from the shock of discovering his chiefly lineage, Hiccup laughed, “Gods, I never thought I’d hear you of all people say that! And Stoick… my dad?! How—how crazy is that?! How long have you known about this?”

She shrugged. “Eh, a day or so.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me during our heartfelt bonding experience?” After the spell of laughter subsided, Hiccup smiled at Valka, expectantly. “Mom?”

She couldn’t bare to see her son unhappy. He had been her life. She had taught him everything he knew about dragons. She had seen him befriend a magnificent Night Fury. She had seen him free countless dragons. She had seen him lead dragons, and now Vikings. She had seen him fall in love with a beautiful, confident warrior. It was time to let go.

She nodded. “I will plead for you.”

A single tear dripped from her eye. Tears welled up in Hiccup’s, as he rushed forward and enveloped her in a warm hug.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, mom.”

Soon, Toothless joined the hug, knocking them to the ground. The blue Nadder and Cloudjumper squawked in celebration, adding to the happy din of laughter. Astrid helped Valka and her son to their feet. 

Back on her feet, Valka felt lighter than she had in years. 

Cloudjumper lowered a wing, ready for her to jump on. Valka mounted the dragon and smiled at her future daughter-in-law.

“Make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”

Astrid laughed and punched Hiccup in the arm.

“What?! Aw come on, Mom!”

Cloudjumper sped off towards Berk, Valka’s heart racing.

A/N: *a line from one of my other favorite Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard!


	14. Act II: Scene 7 (Finale)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, you guys! Here's the final installment in this crazy story that took me over 2 years to write. I'm really glad you've enjoyed it but I'm always open to constructive criticism.
> 
> Some music for your listening pleasure as the story comes to a close (I couldn't find my normal favorite recording so these will do. The second one contains dialogue haha)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i38Bpw_PsLY  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2i5azP2A_8  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qssWAuZ3tBI

Act II: Scene 7 (Finale)

In all her years away from Berk, she never thought she would have to plead for her husband’s permission. She quickly reframed the idea: she wasn’t pleading for permission; she was making her case for all dragonkind. If Hiccup and Astrid were married, the dragon trade would have hell to pay.

Down below, Valka spotted the fuming Viking chieftain. She patted Cloudjumper’s wing and down he dove.

“Leave us for a moment,” she advised.

Upon landing, Cloudjumper took refuge far from Stoick’s sight. He hid behind a storehouse on the side of the hill. Valka dismounted and turned to go. The dragon called after her. Their eyes met. He mewed sadly.

“Don’t you worry, friend… but keep a close watch, would you?”

The dragon nodded, worry in his eyes. Valka smiled nervously, hoping he wouldn’t heroically try to save the day before she’d reasoned with the chief. She ran across the grass towards the stone steps which led to the Great Hall. Stoick was a few steps ahead of her. She planted herself in the middle of the staircase.

“Stoick!” She called.

Valka wasn’t sure why she had yelled so forcefully, but she had to end this puppetry and deceit for her son and for the dragons.

He spun around, eyes bloodshot. When he saw who stood on steps beneath him, his fingers made a fist.

“You,” he whispered.

Realizing she was still grounded in a defensive position, Valka quickly dropped her staff and bent down on one knee.

“Stoick the Vast,” she said, her shaky voice still louder than she had intended, “Chief of the Hooligan Tribe,” she sighed. Her hands trembling, she took a deep breath, “I kneel before you.”

He took one step towards her and crossed his arms.

“Please listen to a mother’s case.”

Stoick groaned and turned on his heel.

More urgently, she called out, “Now, Stoick! The fate of the Archipelago depends on it!”

Stoick stopped but didn’t turn around. She seemed to have caught his interest. She pressed on.

“It’s for my son, Hiccup, that I plead. He loves your ward, Astrid.”

Stoick nearly looked back at her. Had the mention of love stirred a long-concealed pain?

“If you’ve ever cared for Astrid, as a mother loves her son, you must hear me out.” 

Stoick remained motionless. Valka’s heart thumped against her armor. 

“Astrid told me that you, too, had once loved. If you ever loved your wife, you remember the pain of your loss. If, even now, years later, you think of her, then let her memory plead for Hiccup’s happiness. Without his marriage to the future chief, without an alliance of Viking woman and dragon-hearted man, the Archipelago will fall.”

Valka saw his shadowed face in profile. It pained her to see the look of sadness on his face. She knew how vehemently he cared for his people.

She continued, “Without Astrid, Hiccup’s laws are nothing. Their marriage alone will save us. If you’ve set aside any tokens of your wife’s, then let her ceremonial sword, her ring…”  
Tears fell from Valka’s eyes, blurring her vision. She had swallow hard to continue, “let her bridal crown plead for their alliance… for my son. He merely loves.”

She bowed her head, awaiting his response. After a moment of silence that felt the length of twenty years, she stared up at Stoick through her mask. He had turned to face her, clearly effected.

Valka fought the urge to reach out and touch his calloused hand. Through her mask, their eyes met. He held her gaze. Memories of her had reached his heart. He still cared for her. Would he allow these memories to sway his judgement?

Stoick shook his head. “No,” he croaked.

Valka gasped, color draining from her face. “What?” She could barely breathe.

“No!” Stoick insisted firmly, “I cannot allow this! Astrid will wed a Viking who is fit to rule our tribe.”

Valka could barely restrain herself. She threw her arms open. “But your wife! You loved once!”

“What difference does it make? She betrayed us all! Those who’d challenge my authority,” he looked her dead in the eyes, “will have the gods to pay.”

The sound of flapping wings came from overhead. Stoick and Valka looked up to see the Berk Guard dragons and their new riders, Cloudjumper, Hiccup and Toothless, and Astrid and her Nadder. The commotion from the dragons’ arrival had drawn several Vikings and nearby dragons to the square as well.

Rooted on the steps, she racked her brain for a solution. She had to do something. She could not, in good conscience, fail her son or dragonkind. They were doomed if she stayed silent, but crushing headache and pounding heart made it difficult to find the words.

“You—you can’t… you don’t… you don’t know what you’re doing!” She warned Stoick.  
The chief ascended the steps to address both the villagers and enemy dragons assembled beneath them, “I am protecting my people!”

“Time and time again,” said Valka, “I’ve tried to warn you, but you never listen!” 

She had to prove him wrong. Only the truth would save them.

Toothless hovered closer. He and Cloudjumper mewed in concerned warning.

“I’ve already broken Viking law,” she locked eyes with her dragon, “I’ll do so again.”

“Mom, what are you doing?” Hiccup asked warily from above.

She ignored him. “For his sake, for her’s, and for your’s…” She lifted a shaking hand to her face, “I’ll tell the truth. Stoick, it cannot be this way.”

She removed her mask. “I am your wife.”

Shock and sadness shaded his eyes.

The Vikings gasped and whispered surreptitiously amongst each other. 

“Good gods! It’s Valka!” 

“Oh my gods! The chief’s wife! Alive!” 

“It was her all along!” 

“She still protects dragons!” 

“She’s still stirring up trouble!”

A gentler voice came from behind her, “I thought I told you to be careful.”

Valka turned to see her Gobber, helmet in hand, wearing a forlorn expression. Although she knew presenting herself to Stoick in the town square would hardly erase her betrayal, she was glad to see she still had an old friend on her side. 

With a little more courage, she rose to her feet and took a timid step towards Stoick. Dumbfounded, he did the same.

“You’re alive?” He asked, offering his hand.

Trembling, she wrapped her fingers around his. “Yes, I live, but none of us will if you don’t listen to our son.”

“Our son?” Stoick looked up.

Valka had never been known to be predictable and Hiccup had always been a little impulsive. She knew neither Hiccup nor Stoick were prepared for this meeting, but today was as good a time as any. Toothless landed on the hillside and sat on his hind legs while Hiccup met his father properly.

“Good to meet you, uhm, again…uhm…father.” He held out his hand, as if making a diplomatic peace treaty.

Valka knew this was a lot for Stoick to handle all at once, but she had to admit, she was proud of him when he shook his son’s hand.

“Stoick, we know we ask a lot of you,” said Astrid, dismounting the Nadder and joining the family in their circle, “but Vikings have been at war with the dragons for centuries. And Valka and Hiccup have a way to end the bloodshed. You’re the chief. What should we do?”

Stoick furrowed his brow thoughtfully. Valka knew that look. She knew Stoick could only allow so much. Gobber put a hand on her shoulder. They knew the laws. This was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

Valka’s husband turned to Astrid. “You’re the chief now, Astrid. What do you think we should do?”

Valka’s heart soared. Her grip tightened on Stoick’s hand as he pulled her in for an embrace. Hiccup nearly choked. Astrid beamed with pride. The girl astride a Zippleback wooted, “Astrid! Astrid! Oi! Oi! Oi!”

“Ehm, Stoick,” Gobber murmured cautiously, “I hate to interrupt a heartfelt moment, but you seem to have put quite a few people in a very tight spot. You know the law: every Viking will be put to death who aids a dragon.”

“What?!” shrieked the boy on a red Monstrous Nightmare, who upon his shriek set itself aflame, “You’re bringing this up now?!”

“Well, Snotlout,” said Astrid, sauntering up to him, “things have been changing quite a lot around Berk… As my first act as chief, I propose to change that law. How about “every Viking will be put to death who doesn’t aid a dragon”?”

“Hmm…” Stoick mused, with a tired smile in his eye, “that would put you out of your difficulty, wouldn’t it, Val?”

“Not to mention the rest of the Berk Guard,” a big man on a Gronckle chimed in.

“Hey, hi, yes, we’d really like not to be killed, if that’s not too much to ask,” added the other blonde on the Zippleback.

“Is all the council in favor?” Astrid asked. 

Members of the Berk council cheered in assent. Astrid looked sideways at Valka and her son. “What do you two say?"

Valka had always believed the people of Berk would never change. Maybe the people didn’t need to change but rather, circumstances needed to. Circumstance had certainly brought her back together with her husband and had brought her son to his father. Peace was within their reach. Circumstance had certainly changed Berk for the better.

“Astrid, how could I say no to this?” Hiccup took Astrid by the hand and kissed her.

“Aye,” Valka agreed, “Let’s save the dragons.”

Looking a tad shocked from the rapid turn of events, Stoick laughed nervously. “Slow down, Val! Let’s take this one step at a time.”

“Chief,” Valka asked Astrid, “what’s our next step?”

“Well, since you asked…” Astrid smiled playfully. The new chief held the attention of every Viking and dragon in the square. “I’d like to select a Viking who is fit to rule our tribe. Surely, the son of my would do?”

“Hah! Gods help me, Astrid,” Stoick was laughing a little more heartily now, “I think you know the answer.”

Beaming, Astrid wrapped Hiccup in an embrace and whispered something in his ear.   
Hiccup laughed, “And you thought we had to wait a year!”

Toothless let out a roar of triumph. He butted his head between the two lovers to join in the celebration. The dragons of the Berk Guard lead the shots of fire into the sky. Other wild dragons joined in. Sounds of Viking and dragon alike cheered together in harmony. The sound sent chills down Valka’s spine. 

“Party at the Jorgenson House!” shrieked the blonde girl on the Zippleback.

“What?!” cried the Jorgenson boy on the Nightmare. 

As the crowd of Vikings rushed past him to a festive celebration, he dipped the Nightmare’s long neck downward and leaned close to the new chief. He asked Astrid, “Hey, babe, are you coming?”

With one swat of its tail, Astrid’s new Nadder friend knocked the Jorgenson off his dragon and into a nearby puddle of dragon dung.

“Gods help me, Snotlout,” Gobber shook his head wearily, “she’s engaged!”

“And that’s chief to you, Snotlout.” Astrid added. She scratched the blue Nadder behind the horns. “Who’s a good girl?”

Gobber stretched and a long yawn escaped him. “Ugh! What a morning! Well, chie—uh, Stoick, are you coming to wreck Jorgenson’s house?”

Stoick shook his head and smiled thoughtfully at Valka. “I think we all have quite a bit of catching up to do.”

“Alright, you lovebirds,” Gobber waved his hook at Valka, the ex-chief, the new chief, and her fiancée, “I’m off then. Somebody’s gotta club Jorgenson’s place to the ground.”

“Wait, no!” called Snotlout, running after him.

Smiling, Valka called Cloudjumper to her side. She mounted her dragon and reached out for her husband’s hand. As Astrid and Hiccup jumped atop their dragons, Valka suggested, “Catching up sounds wonderful, but first, why don’t we take to the skies?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! :)
> 
> If you liked this story, consider watching the source material in full! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFZFN_45DlM  
> Once or twice, people were shocked by some of the characters' actions but these characters' actions in the plot were modeled on the following characters' role in the plot of Iolanthe.
> 
> Hiccup: Strephon  
> Astrid: Phyllis  
> Valka: Iolanthe  
> Stoick: Lord Chancellor/Fairy Queen  
> Alvin: Fairy Queen  
> Gobber: Private Willis  
> Fishlegs: Lord Tolloller  
> Snotlout: Lord Mountararat  
> Hookfang: Celia  
> Meatlug: Leila  
> Ruff & Tuff: Fleta
> 
> You may have thought the falling action was a little anti-climactic, but that's a hilarious feature of all Gilbert plots!
> 
> It's been SO FUN WRITING THIS! If you like it, I have plans to write more Gilbert and Sullivan AUs for the How to Train Your Dragon and Voltron: Legendary Defender universes!


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